'Good American Family' doesn't cover Natalia Grace's full true story. Here's what we know about a potential season 2.
The dramatic episode, titled "Blood on Her Hands," follows Natalia (Imogen Faith Reid) as a legal case is mounted against her adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, played by Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass.
In real life, the Barnetts were arrested and charged with neglect after leaving Natalia in Indiana and moving to Canada. They had adopted her in 2010, believing her to be a 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan, but later claimed Natalia was an adult con artist pretending to be a child. (Natalia has denied all their accusations.)
The Barnetts petitioned a court to re-age Natalia, successfully changing her legal birth year from 2003 to 1989. However, the Barnetts remained her legal guardians as a result of Natalia's disability.
Natalia, who has a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, was eventually adopted by another set of parents, Cynthia and Antwon Mans, played by Christina Hendricks and Jerod Haynes.
In the TV show, as in real life, the Barnetts don't go to jail; the case against Michael falls apart when the judge rules against any mention of Natalia's age in court. The charges against Kristine were later dismissed.
Despite the harsh legal verdict, causing Natalia to fear the world would see her as a "monster," the finale gestures toward a happier future for Natalia with the Mans family — but that's not where Natalia's real story ended.
People interviewed in season three of ID's docuseries, "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace," said they witnessed abuse in the Mans household. Natalia also confirmed she'd left the family, and as of January 2025, she said she was living with another family, the DePauls, in New York. Cynthia and Antwon Mans did not respond to BI's request for comment on the abuse allegations.
Will "Good American Family" return for a second season to keep following the twists and turns of Natalia's story? Here's what we know.
"Good American Family" was originally created as an eight-episode limited series.
As of writing, Hulu has not announced a renewal. The series creator, Katie Robbins, told TV Insider that the showrunners have not planned for a second season.
"This series ends very specifically where it does," Robbins said. "At the end of that trial, when there is empirical, scientific fact [available about] Natalia's age, and having that not change anything in the court of law. Having that be not admissible in the court of law really lands this horrifying idea — in a show that grapples with horror tropes — that is the most kind of horrifying thing at the end of the day, that that doesn't matter. That doesn't change anything."
Although she didn't definitively rule out another season, Robbins explained the "Good American Family" finale was constructed in a way for the show's key themes — the deceptive effects of bias, the dangers of performative charity, the fallibility of the justice system — to land "sharply."
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Buzz Feed
8 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
17 Musicians Whose Careers Were Ruined
Natalia Kills was slowly rising in fame over the early 2010s, opening for acts like Kesha, the Black-Eyed Peas, and Katy Perry, as well as featuring on an LMFAO song. Willy Moon was similarly rising in the music scene after going viral for his hit "Yeah Yeah." The two, who were married, both looked to be getting more notoriety with their first foray into reality television as judges on The X Factor New Zealand. However, in their very first live show, Kills and Moon made such cruel comments to a contestant that both of their careers were almost immediately ruined. After contestant Joe Irvine sang "Cry Me a River," Kills called Irvine out for dressing like Moon, with Moon joining in. The audience booed, and the other judges tried to step in, but they kept going. Natalia later issued an apology, saying, "A lot goes on behind the scenes of a reality TV show and [what] you see isn't always the whole story. ... I was encouraged to be outspoken, and things got out of hand. ... Joe, I hope you can forgive me and I wish you all the best!" but the damage was done. The duo was let go from the show after a viral petition to get them fired. Natalia did continue her career, but she changed her name and started a different band with Moon, which still has not released their debut album (though they do have an EP). Natalia later called the whole ordeal "a publicity stunt resulting in a viral media storm" and said she couldn't say more due to a "wide-reaching legal gagging-order". R&B duo Milli Vanilli reached worldwide fame in the late '80s with their debut album, leading them to win the award for Best New Artist at the 1990 Grammy Awards. However, their careers quickly took a nosedive when their producer Frank Farian revealed they didn't sing any of the album, which was confirmed by member Rob Pilatus. The Grammys swiftly revoked their award. The duo's swift decline is often attributed to a Club MTV live performance in 1989, where they were caught lip-synching, (Pilatus later admitted that the concert "was the beginning of the end for Milli Vanilli"), but they did continue to find success after the incident. Still, it led to them eventually being exposed as frauds. Pilatus and co-member Fab Morvan attempted a comeback in the early '90s, but the scandal followed them, and they were unable to gain traction. They attempted a second comeback in the late '90s, but Pilatus died in 1998, which ended that attempt. Morvan has continued to make music, even releasing a solo album, but is still best known for his time in Milli Vanilli. Billy Squier skyrocketed to fame in the early 1980s, but by 1984, his career had taken a nosedive. Why? The blame lies with the music video for his song "Rock Me Tonite," which was so bad many claimed it singlehandedly tanked his career. Even Squier said so: "The video had a deleterious effect on my career. The tour before, I was selling out arenas faster than Sinatra, and as soon as that video came out, I was playing to half houses," he said in 2011, according to I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. The song itself was a major hit, but the video — which mostly featured Squier dancing around in a bedroom, rolling on the floor, and ripping his shirt off — made people scratch their heads. "The video misrepresents who I am as an artist," Squier told the authors of I Want My MTV. "I was a good-looking, sexy guy. That certainly didn't hurt in promoting my music. But in this video, I'm kind of a pretty boy. And I'm preening around a room. People said, 'He's gay,' or 'He's on drugs.' It was traumatizing to me." Squier released multiple albums afterward, but none were as successful as his previous music had been. You can watch the video here. Vanilla Ice rose to fame incredibly quickly with "Ice, Ice, Baby" in 1990, but he attracted controversy just as quickly. First, reported details about his past (namely that he had a rough background) were proven false. His music was also criticized for being white-washed and "mainstream." Then, Jim Carrey parodied him on In Living Color, he had a disastrous appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show, and he was the subject of a diss track by 3rd Bass. Finally, he starred in the panned film Cool as Ice, which effectively ended his movie career before it began. He then attempted a career in motocross and jet skiing, as well as in reality TV (where he found moderate success), and had multiple run-ins with the law. While he did attempt a comeback, it was unsuccessful, and his music career never got back to what it was. Iggy Azalea looked like she was going to become huge after the success of "Fancy." With "Problem" and "Black Widow," Azalea proved she wasn't just a one-hit wonder. But her career stalled after continued accusations of racism and profiting off of Black culture — including using a "Blaccent" — as well as her perceived inability to freestyle and public feuds. She eventually canceled her debut tour. She continued to make music, but acknowledged her career had "fallen off a cliff," and never returned to her "Fancy" level of success. Azalea announced she was retiring from music last year and has since moved into business ventures, which has included launching her own meme cryptocoin. CeeLo Green went massively viral with his hit song "Fuck You" in 2010, which was followed by a stint as a guest-host on The Voice, along with performing at the Super Bowl halftime show. But allegations of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2012 derailed his career before he could become an A-List star. Rape charges were not filed due to a lack of evidence, and his charges were reduced to supplying ecstasy to the woman. Green pled no contest, and was sentenced to three years of probation. Green may have continued his career — his lawyer claimed the encounter was consensual — but then he took to Twitter to write things such as "If someone is passed out they're not even WITH you consciously! so WITH Implies consent" and "People who have really been raped REMEMBER!!!" He deleted all the tweets, and later apologized, calling his tweets "highly irresponsible." Green quit The Voice (reportedly believing he'd be fired, though he later said, "I ran my course there just naturally"), and his reality show, The Good Life, was canceled. Green is still around and making music today, but he's not even close to the level of fame or success he had in the early 2010s. Ben Hopkins of Pwr Bttm also saw their career derailed by sexual misconduct allegations. Just as the group was gaining traction, days before the release of their second album, Hopkins was accused of being a sexual predator. Their label dropped them, streaming platforms removed their music, and their upcoming tour was canceled. Hopkins says the anonymous accusations are false and eventually released music as a solo artist in 2020 after taking a break from the public eye. However, they have yet to release a new album or make a full comeback. Rapper and actor Mystikal steadily rose in fame over the '90s and early 2000s. In 2003, he seemed on top of the world, gaining his first-ever Album of the Year Grammy nomination and starring in the film 13 Dead Men. However, in early 2004, he was convicted of sexual battery and sentenced to six years in prison. Mystikal attempted to make a comeback when he was released in 2010 and found some success in early performances. However, he continued to have run-ins with the law, being accused of rape and domestic battery, among other charges, and he is currently facing a life sentence (he pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his former attorney proclaimed his innocence). He has not released a solo album since 2001, and he is still in jail. Mystikal's trial on charges of first-degree rape, criminal damage to property, false imprisonment, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, simple robbery, and possession of multiple different drugs was delayed in March by the judge. In May, he finally had a court appearance, but due to a gag order, it's unclear what the status of the case is. Canadian-Chinese singer Kris Wu rose to fame through the Canadian-Korean boy band Exo before finding major success as a solo artist. He also made waves as an actor, appearing in the Vin Diesel film XXX: Return of Xander Cage, and seemed poised to break into the American market. But in 2021, the 30-year-old Wu was accused of sexual assault of a 17-year-old two years prior. He denied the allegations, but was arrested and ultimately sentenced to 13 years in prison, a conviction which was upheld upon appeal. Wu was quickly dropped from all of his major luxury brand deals, and obviously has not released any new music since then. Another musician whose career was derailed by jail time is Tory Lanez. Lanez was a rising star who was finding mainstream success in the late 2010s — and then he was accused of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Time will tell if he attempts to make a comeback after that. Lanez recently attempted to challenge his conviction by submitting new evidence, but the California Court of Appeals denied the two petitions. Despite legal trouble, 6ix9ine shot to fame quickly in the late 2010s, but his involvement with the Nine Trey gang led to his arrest in 2018 on racketeering, robbery, and firearm charges. He was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison after testifying against other Nine Trey members, leading to him being labeled a "snitch" and essentially ruining his credibility in hip-hop. 6ix9ine has released music since then, with moderate to low success (nowhere near his initial success), and has continued to generate controversy and have legal troubles. He's currently facing possible jail time. Keri Hilson had a wildly successful debut album and continued that success with her second album. But she never reached the career highs that were expected for her — due in part to her allegedly shading Beyoncé and Ciara in a few lyrics in her 2009 song 'Turnin' Me On" (which Hilson denied). Hilson continued to face what she referred to as "verbal abuse" from Beyoncé fans for years and ended up taking a years-long break from music, later revealing she was dealing with depression and the grief of her father's passing. 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She later said she felt like a "sellout" when she won and became "a paper doll in order to be accepted." Her infamous speech, along with storming offstage during a show in 2000, led her to be seen as "unstable," which followed her for her entire career. While Apple has continued to have an acclaimed, Grammy-award-winning career, she never again reached her pre-2000 commercial heights. Pop duo Karmin had just begun to find mainstream success (after making a name for themselves with YouTube covers) in 2012 with their EP Hello. But their performance on SNL that same year is widely cited as one of the worst SNL performances of all time. This effectively killed their momentum, and they ended up disbanding the group and starting a new music endeavor, Qveen Herby. This group still releases music and tours, but is not as well-known as Karmin. While Robin Thicke was around for years before "Blurred Lines," the song catapulted him into global superstardom and he became a household name, getting nominated for his first non-production-related Grammy in 2014. But his performance of the song with Miley Cyrus at the 2013 VMAs generated significant controversy, as did the lyrics and music video for Thicke's song (Thicke also lost a lawsuit about the song's similarities to Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up"). Thicke may have been able to save his career — but his highly publicized divorce and ensuing album focused on getting his wife back, which was a massive critical failure, cementing his ousting from the music industry A-list. His next album wasn't until 2021 and did not cement a comeback for Thicke. The main thing he's currently known for is appearing as a judge on The Masked Singer. And finally, we'll end on Azealia Banks. In the early 2010s, Banks seemed poised for a long career in the music business, but since then, her outspoken and problematic Twitter rants and feuds have meant that she's more well-known for her controversial online presence than her songs. While she still performs, she certainly has not achieved the level of mainstream success she might have. What other up-and-coming musicians and singers essentially ruined their own careers? Let us know in the comments!
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chris Hemsworth Got Electrocuted And Pepper-Sprayed For His Disney+ Show, And I Didn't Expect To Relate To His Reasoning
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Fans still have a while to go before seeing Chris Hemsworth rocking the hammer again in Thor-mode for the Russo brothers' Avengers: Doomsday, but there's no wait required to see the actor showing off his impressive badassery in other ways. The second season of his unscripted series LImitless, now subtitled Live Better Now, is finally available to stream via Hulu subscription and Disney+ subscription, nearly three years after the first season. I'm pretty sure Thor never had to deal with pepper spray or game night electrocutions, though. The second season of Limitless comprises three episodes of high-octane and high-intensity situations that do indeed test the limits of the human body in various ways, such as fear-abating cliff dives and playing drums in front of a screaming audience for the first time. For the episode 'Pain,' the Australian agreed to go through some minor electrocutions, as well as getting doused with pepper spray, and it's for a reason that I was surprised I could actually relate to: long-held chronic back pain. Speaking with TVInsider about that episode and others, Hemsworth was asked why he went through such terrible experiences, and he said it was all about trying to find a way to successfully fix or work around the constant back troubles, saying: Because I've struggled with issues with my back and back pain for years, since I was 15. And if someone was going to offer up a solution, I was onboard, whether or not it would mean I'd have to stimulate some more pain to get there. I'm now being a little gentle with myself and having more compassion for the pain and looking at it as, this is my body trying to protect me and saying, 'Hey, just go gentle today,' rather than what I had done for years, which was try and stifle that and compress it and remove it and avoid it and deny it. It's like listening to a whatever makes more sense. Having dealt with pinched nerves and muscle problems with my own back for decades, I can 100% sympathize with the decision to go far outside the box to find relief. In Hemsworth's, that box is full of Jenga pieces. In the episode, Hemsworth and his pals Aaron Grist and Luke Zocchi each get electrodes taped to their chests and stomachs, with a controlled set of shocks encompassing the first part of the process. Then things get more difficult as the mini-electrocutions are delivered as the guys engage in a social activity: playing Jenga! Not that all that much Jenga-playing happens, with each of the men laughing and reacting maniacally as they get jolted. One goal with these experiements is to see whethever or not a secondary form of pain can successfully get someone to refocus their receptors so that the initial pain isn't felt anymore. Kind of like how if you have a bad headache, stubbing the shit out of your toe on a bedframe can temporarily make said headache dissipate. Elsewhere in the episode, Hemsworth teams up with a special forces unit led by someone who, instead of being an expert on pain management, is more of a professional pain-deliverer. Perhaps the most bizzarely excrutiating part of the four-stage process involved everyone getting their faces awashed in pepper spray and then grouping up to pull 300-lb. tires by rope, all while the gases and fumes from flash grenades further impede their sight and breathing abilities. Everything the special forces unit went through sounded and looked like pure hell, and I don't think anyone should expect to see Chris Hemsworth making a repeat appearance. As he put it in the show: I've never been pepper-sprayed before, and...I don't wanna be pepper-sprayed again. For all the aches and pains that Hemsworth went through on Limitless, he actually wasn't allowed to attempt surfing a 40-foot wave as he'd aimed to, due to insurance issues with Disney, who didn't want him injuring himself before Thor's big return. Thankfully, the actor wasn't dealing with any such painful experiences with his family at the series' premiere event in July. All three episodes of LImitless are currently available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. Watching the show hasn't exactly helped my own back problems, but certainly made me grateful about not suffering electrocution pains at the same time. It's the little things. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
18 hours ago
- New York Post
Virgin dating series 'Are You My First?' hasn't even premiered yet, but is already flooded with applicants for Season 2
They're making the best 'laid' plans. The new virgin dating series 'Are You My First?' hasn't even premiered yet, but celibate singles are already hoping the show gets renewed for a second season — so they can lose their innocence on national television. 'I have never had so many virgins sliding into my DMs … But I will say this, if and when Season 2 happens, we will have a wide variety of virgins flocking to the show,' its co-host, former 'Bachelor' Colton Underwood, told The Post ahead of its Aug. 18 premiere. 'I've also received a lot of friends nominating people. And then when you click on their profile, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, they would be good.' I definitely have a list of screenshots and saves for Season 2 for casting.' The Hulu series, which was created by the producers of 'Love Island,' follows 21 virgins — ranging in age from 24 to 34 — on their quest to lose their v-cards. 5 Colton Underwood and Kaitlyn Bristowe are the hosts of the new virgin dating show 'Are You My First?' on Hulu. Disney Underwood's co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe, who starred as 'The Bachelorette' in 2015, faced backlash for being the first leading lady to speak openly about having sex — admitting she did the deed with more than one contestant. The 40-year-old Canadian native said the terrible way she was treated back then has helped her sympathize with the virgins. 'It gave me a bit more empathy for people who chose not to have sex because I was like, 'Well, who am I to judge those people seeing how badly I got judged?'' she said. 5 On her 'Bachelorette' season in 2015, Bristowe got engaged to Shawn Booth. Underwood, who starred as 'Bachelor' in 2019, dated Cassie Randolph. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Bristowe found it surreal to see the virgins so reserved when it came to kissing — with one of the contestants, 28-year-old Katya, a theatre artist from Manhattan, going so far as to tell the man she was interested in he'd have to 'earn' her smooch. 'I was thinking of my night one as 'The Bachelorette.' And that was like child's play to me because I was like, 'I'm gonna make out with as many as I can and see who I have chemistry with.'' Bristowe, who got engaged to personal trainer Shawn Booth on 'The Bachelorette' and dated him for three years before their split in 2018, said it was refreshing to witness the cast's 'intentional' approach to courtship. 'We are so used to the craziness that we see on usual reality TV shows with dating where I'm like almost uncomfy, where this is like a sweeter, softer version,' she said. 'It's also crazy that we see somebody have their first kiss on camera ever. That's wild to me.' 5 'Are You My First?' features 21 virgins from around the country, ranging in age from 24 to 34. Disney Underwood, 33, starred as 'The Bachelor' in 2019, and at the time, he was a virgin. The Indiana native ended up dating contestant Cassie Randolph, a speech pathologist, for almost two years — and when they split, he confessed he was gay. 'Mine is a very complex story that America now knows,' he said. 'I think that when people watch this show, they're really going to understand there's so many reasons that people decide not to lose their virginity at a young age.' 5 'I think that when people watch this show, they're really going to understand there's so many reasons that people decide not to lose their virginity at a young age,' Underwood said about the 'Are You My First?' contestants, several of whom cited religion. Disney Several of the 'Are You My First?' contestants — many of whom are Mormon — revealed their religion was preventing them from giving it up. 'As a Christian man, it is easy to hide behind your faith — and I say that with all the respect to my faith and to Christianity — when you have other insecurities and other traumatic things that you're trying to work through,' said Underwood. Although the fact that some of the contestants — like a cocktail waitress and an NFL cheerleader — were still virgins may shock viewers, the hosts said they were not surprised. 'You spend a minute around them and you're like, 'Oh, I get it now,'' Underwood said. 5 During one awkward moment on the series, Michael, a stand-up comedian from Austin, tells Rachael, a cocktail waitress from Tampa, that his celebrity crush is William Howard Taft. Disney The hosts also had their fill of boring banter and anemic pickup lines — like when Michael, 26, a stand-up comedian from Austin, TX, revealed his celebrity crush was the late 27th president, William Howard Taft. 'I didn't even know who that is,' Underwood confessed. Bristowe said it was the awkward silences that really got to her. 'Everything in me wants to step in and be like, 'Somebody say something!''
