GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY – “Almost Like a Prayer” – Reeling from the grief of a failed adoption, the … More Barnett family gets a second chance when they get a call about a little girl named Natalia.(Disney/Ser Baffo) MARK DUPLASS, ELLEN POMPEO
Disney
Hulu’s new crime drama Good American Family has sparked renewed interest in the complicated and true story that inspired it: the case of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian girl with a rare form of dwarfism who was accused by her adoptive parents of lying about her age and threatening their lives.
Kristine and Michael Barnett, the Indiana couple who adopted Natalia Grace believing she was six or seven years old at the time, are portrayed by Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass in the Hulu series. As shown in the show, the couple accused Natalia — who has a rare form of dwarfism called diastrophic dysplasia — of trying to kill Kristine, along with other disturbing and dangerous behavior toward their family.
ForbesThe Terrifying True Story Behind ‘Good American Family’—What Did Natalia Grace Do?By Monica MercuriGood American Family isn’t the only place where Natalia’s story has been revisited. She shared her truth in the Investigation Discovery three-part docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, where she accused Kristine of abuse. She also agreed to take a DNA test, which estimated Natalia’s age to be around 22 – meaning she would have been about 9 years old when Michael and Kristine adopted her.
If you’ve started watching the first few episodes of Good American Family, you might be wondering what happened to Kristine and Michael Barnett and where Natalia Grace’s former adoptive parents are today.
Who Are Kristine And Michael Barnett?
Kristine and Michael Barnett from ID docuseries.
Courtesy of Investigation Discovery
Kristine Barnett and Michael Barnett were an Indiana couple who adopted Natalia Grace, a young Ukrainian girl with a rare form of dwarfism. They also had three biological sons: Jacob, Wesley, and Ethan. Jacob, who is autistic and reportedly has an IQ of 170, began college at just 10 years old. In 2013, Kristine published a memoir about raising her genius son titled The Spark: A Mother’s Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism.
The Barnetts began to suspect that Natalia was lying about her age — believing she wasn’t six or seven, but actually in her twenties. Michael alleged in Investigation Discovery’s docuseries The Curious Case that Natalia made threats, hid knives in her bedroom, and even tried to poison Kristine’s coffee with cleaning fluid. Natalia, however, claimed she was the one who suffered abuse at the hands of Kristine.
Two years after adopting her, her parents petitioned the Marion County Probate Court to legally change her age to 22. The court approved the request, allowing her birth year to be changed from 2003 to 1989 based on “age estimates provided by a primary care physician and social worker,” according to a document from the Indiana Court of Appeals obtained by TODAY.
Kristine and Michael then moved to Canada with their three sons, leaving Natalia alone in an apartment in Lafayette. They claimed to have helped her by “obtaining federal disability benefits and supportive services to help her transition to life as an adult,” per the Indiana Court of Appeals. However, Natalia said in the docuseries that the apartment wasn’t fully accessible — she couldn’t reach the stove, shelves, or mailbox, and didn’t have a phone to call for help.
ForbesWhere Is Natalia Grace Now? Her Life Today After Accusing Two Families Of AbuseBy Monica MercuriCynthia and Antwan Mans, who met Natalia while she was living alone, filed for legal guardianship of her in 2016. Michael Barnett filed an objection, “asserting that Natalia was an adult,” according to the Indiana Court of Appeals. The Mans eventually adopted Natalia in 2023, but in the third season of the docuseries, Natalia alleged that the Mans abused her too. Now, Natalia’s living with Nicole and Vincent DePaul, a couple with dwarfism who had attempted to adopt her in 2009.
What Were Kristine Barnett And Michael Barnett Charged With?
Natalia Grace when she was living with the Barnett family.
Courtesy of Investigation Discovery
Both Kristine and Michael Barnett were each charged with six counts of neglect of a dependent and two counts of conspiracy to commit neglect of a dependent. Michael was found not guilty in October 2022 on three counts of neglect and conspiracy to commit neglect of a dependent. In March 2023, all charges against Kristine were dismissed.
Are Kristine Barnett and Michael Barnett Still Together?
No, Kristine and Michael Barnett are no longer together. Michael Barnett filed for divorce from Kristine Barnett in 2014, and their divorce was finalized in 2018, per court records obtained by TODAY.
Where Is Michael Barnett Now?
Michael Barnett in ID’s Natalia Grace docuseries.
Courtesy of Investigation Discovery
As of 2023, Michael Barnett was still living in Indianapolis, Indiana, and had reportedly remarried and divorced following his split from Kristine. He agreed to be interviewed in Investigation Discovery’s docuseries, where Natalia confronted him about what happened.
In the docuseries, Michael claimed that he was also manipulated and mistreated by Kristine. “I had the same monster you did. I was exceptionally controlled and put down and threatened, was minimalized, anything that was who I was was ripped from me and I was guided and instructed to be exactly what she wanted me to be,” he revealed.
Where Is Kristine Barnett Now?
KATIE – 5/30/13 – Dealing with autism is discussed on KATIE, distributed by Disney-Walt Disney … More Television via Getty Images Domestic Television. (Photo by Donna Svennevik/Disney-Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) KATIE COURIC, KRISTINE BARNETT (MOTHER), JACOB BARNETT (SON)
Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Although Kristine did not participate in Investigation Discovery’s docuseries, she denied the allegations Natalia made in the series, including claims of abuse during the time they lived together. According to TODAY, Kristine’s last known address in the U.S. was in Indiana in 2019.
“Natalia was a very much loved and cared for member of my family. She was not abused by anyone in my family. Let’s get straight to these allegations,” Kristine wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post. “Nobody ever took a belt to Natalia and the allegations that she was ‘beaten’ are just plain false. Any discipline of Natalia was very minimal and was not out of the bounds of normal parenting. If anything it was overly permissive as we all felt a tremendous amount of sympathy for Natalia and loved her while she lived with us.”
Forbes‘Good American Family’ Release Schedule—When Do New Episodes Drop On Hulu?By Monica MercuriKristine acknowledged having “good and bad days as a mom” but insisted that Natalia’s accusations had already been “investigated” and were “dismissed as unfounded.”
“Living with Natalia did come with constant allegations about her treatment, which I believe was to lead people away from investigating her personal behaviors which were extreme and usually of some sort of sexual or hurtful to towards others nature. So the accusations of being abused are a way to deflect what she is actively doing to hurt other people and as well they themselves hurt other people,” she continued. “She has alleged abuse by anyone who has had longterm contact with her as well as neighbors, teachers and even children that she claims were abusive to her. In my experience they all were not abusing her.”
Good American Family is now streaming on Hulu. Watch the official trailer below
