Latest news with #Barnetts
Business Insider
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
'Good American Family' doesn't cover Natalia Grace's full true story. Here's what we know about a potential season 2.
Hulu's scripted miniseries " Good American Family," which recounts the true story of Natalia Grace's disastrous adoption from multiple perspectives, aired its first season finale on Wednesday. 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."
Business Insider
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
'Good American Family' doesn't cover Natalia Grace's full true story. Here's what we know about a potential season 2.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Good American Family." Hulu's scripted miniseries " Good American Family," which recounts the true story of Natalia Grace's disastrous adoption from multiple perspectives, aired its first season finale on Wednesday. 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' creator Katie Robbins said there are no plans for season 2, but 'never say never' "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." "I think that to do an additional story here, there would need to be a reason, something to say with it," Robbins said. "And never say never, but that would be the thing: 'Why tell it?'"
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Did Natalia Grace's Parents Go To Jail? ‘Good American Family's' Ending Explained
GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY – 'Blood on Her Hands' – With the world watching, Natalia and the Barnetts face ... More off in the court of law and the court of public opinion. Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the Good American Family finale. In the final episode of Hulu's miniseries Good American Family, Natalia Grace and the Barnetts are building cases against each other in court. Each side has very different account of what happened during and after Natalia lived with the family. But how closely does the show's final episode follow what happened in real life, especially the ending? Midway through the season, the series shifts the perspective from Kristine and Michael to Natalia, after the now-divorced Indiana couple changed the Ukrainian orphan's legal age to 22 and moved her into two apartments by herself. Natalia, who has a rare form of dwarfism, struggled to live independently due to her medical condition (and because she was a child, which a DNA test later confirmed). Meanwhile, the Barnetts – fearing that Natalia was a con artist set out to hurt their family – wanted nothing to do with Natalia. They remained her legal guardian and told Natalia to tell people she was an adult who 'looks young for her age.' One day, she met a woman named Cynthia Mans, who befriended her and insisted Natalia move in with her, her husband Antwon Mans, and their kids. Natalia visited a doctor with the Mans, who had their own suspicions about her situation. The physician called in a detective to look into Natalia's health and her relationship with her new family, which ultimately led Natalia to tell him about the alleged abuse by the Barnetts, kickstarting the child neglect charges. GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY – 'Blood on Her Hands' – With the world watching, Natalia and the Barnetts face ... More off in the court of law and the court of public opinion. In the final episode of Good American Family Season 1, episode 8, Natalia Grace is on Dr. Phil to defend herself against allegations by the Barnetts, including disproving claims that she poisoned Kristine's coffee and pushed her into an electric fence. Both sides are also rigorously preparing for the Barnetts' trial. Michael and Kristine review witness depositions, which prove to be unhelpful to their case. After a tip from Natalia, the prosecution gains a breakthrough after they subpoena damaging Facebook Messenger chats between Kristine and Michael, in which Michael states (in writing) that Kristine beat Natalia. Michael decides to try to negotiate an immunity deal to avoid jail time after his lawyers inform him that the prosecution is more interested in nailing Kristine. However, just before the trial, an article is published in which Natalia's birth mom reveals that she gave birth to Natalia in 2003, not 1989, as the Barnetts claimed. GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY – 'Blood on Her Hands' – With the world watching, Natalia and the Barnetts face ... More off in the court of law and the court of public opinion. During Michael's trial, the case against the Barnetts falls apart when the judge rules that no mention of Natalia's age can be made in court. This decision follows the judge's discovery that the state chose not to appeal the 2017 ruling regarding Natalia's age, a decision the court had upheld multiple times. As a result, the judge dismisses the four charges that depended on Natalia being on child. During the trial for the remaining charges, Natalia cannot be referred to as a child or an adult, and the topic of her re-aging is also off-limits. Additionally, given Natalia's legal age, the statute of limitations prevents litigation of any offenses before 2014. The state also can't use the Facebook messages, as they are protected under spousal privilege now that Natalia is being treated as an adult. GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY – 'Blood on Her Hands' – With the world watching, Natalia and the Barnetts face ... More off in the court of law and the court of public opinion. No, in Good American Family and in real life, Kristine and Michael Barnett do not go to jail for the allegations against Natalia. At his 2022 trial, Michael Barnett was acquitted of the child neglect charges, while Kristine's charges were also later dismissed. In January 2024, Kristine responded to the abuse allegations made in Natalia Grace's Investigation Discovery docuseries. "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 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,' she said at the time. GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY – 'Blood on Her Hands' – With the world watching, Natalia and the Barnetts face ... More off in the court of law and the court of public opinion. In Episode 8, as the Barnetts revisit the past, Michael starts to regret how he and his ex-wife treated Natalia, especially since there is evidence that he knew Natalia was a child. At the end of the episode, Natalia shows up at Michael's house looking for answers. Natalia asks Michael if he knew she was a kid and if he was aware that Kristine was hurting her. He responds by saying he was a victim and that Kristine controlled him, too. He concludes that both faced the same monster. "You we're supposed to be my dad," she says to him. Michael tells Natalia he will do anything to help her, but she wants him to admit what he did. Kristine and Jacob show up, and Jacob apologizes to Natalia for not helping her when they were kids. In real life, it's unknown whether the conversation between Natalia, Michael, Kristine, and Jacob took place. However, Michael and Natalia did have an actual conversation after the trial, as seen on the ID docuseries, where Natalia confronted him. Like in Good American Family, Michael said he was 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 said on the show. Natalia Grace in 'The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter" on ID. Natalia Grace is no longer living with Cynthia Mans and her family. The Manses officially adopted Natalia in 2023, but their relationship went downhill shortly after they found her communicating with her boyfriend in the U.K., according to Investigation Discovery's docuseries. In the docuseries, several neighbors and friends claim they witnessed the Manses physically abusing Natalia, per People. They alleged that she was whipped with a belt, slapped in the face, locked in a room, and assaulted. Natalia declined to confirm or deny those allegations to the publication. She also refused to comment on the abuse on the show, telling the producers, 'I don't want to talk about that.' When a producer asked her if she was ever hit, she responded, 'Not anything crazy. Maybe a little pop on the butt or something.' One thing that Good American Family doesn't highlight are the allegations against Cynthia and Antwon. Instead, the series includes a disclaimer at the end that acknowledges the allegations, which the show says surfaced after filming wrapped. 'Since this series was completed, abuse allegations against Antwon and Cynthia Mans have come to light,' the statement in the end-credits read. 'They maintain their innocence, and to this day, so does Kristine Barnett.' Since 2023, Natalia has been living with Nicole and Vincent DePaul, a couple with dwarfism who tried to adopt her in 2009 but were unable to do so. The DePauls said that Natalia has never exhibited violent behavior toward them, but noted one incident in which she secretly recorded the family in their home. The DePauls explained to People that such disruptions are expected given Natalia's diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder (RAD), a behavioral condition commonly seen in children who have spent time in an orphanage. 'Did she probably do weird things in the past? Yeah,' Nicole told the site. '[But] when you take in a child, you take that child as your own. You don't just get rid of them when they don't fit into your puzzle." Natalia is currently studying for her GED and wants to be a teacher. She's also learning to drive, loves listening to Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, and is getting ready for upcoming surgeries related to her disabilities, according to People. She's also happily in a relationship with her boyfriend, Neil. Good American Family is streaming on Hulu.
Indianapolis Star
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
'Good American Family' finale is streaming. How to watch the Hulu series
Show Caption Hulu viewers can now watch the entire Midwest-set drama " Good American Family." The finale of the eight-episode series was released for streaming April 30. Told from multiple points of view, the series is inspired by the story of Ukrainian orphan Natalia Grace Barnett, who was thrust into the spotlight after her Indiana adoptive parents claimed she was an adult, not a child, and that she tried to kill them. Starring Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy"), the limited drama series depicts the saga of Kristine and Michael Barnett, accused of abandoning their adopted daughter who they claimed was an adult with dwarfism who was posing as a child. What is the Natalia Grace 'Good American Family' show about? Is it based on a true story? The story made international news when the Barnetts were accused of abandoning Natalia, leaving her alone in a Lafayette apartment while the rest of the family moved to Canada. In 2010, as the Journal & Courier has reported through the years, Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted Natalia, who they believed was 6 years old. Natalia had been diagnosed with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare genetic disorder affecting the spine and resulting in short stature and skeletal anomalies. The parents claimed that the genetic disorder made Natalia appear far younger than she really was, and, as reported, the Barnetts petitioned in June 2012 for a Marion County court to alter Natalia's Ukrainian birth records. Viewers are notified the episodes include "certain events as alleged by Kristine and Michael Barnett." "This series portrays certain allegations by the individuals involved in this story, including in court proceedings and as publicly reported," the notice says. "It reflects and dramatizes multiple conflicting points of view, and does not intend to suggest that any particular allegation is the whole truth. Characters, scenes, dialogue and some events have been modified, imagined, or invented for dramatic purposes." What is 'Good American Family' episode 8 about? Titled 'Blood on Her Hands,' the episode is summarized: "With the world watching, Natalia and the Barnetts face off in the court of law and the court of public opinion." Mike Epps association with 'Good American Family' Comedian-actor Mike Epps is listed among the executive producers for eight episodes, along with Pompeo, Katie Robbins, Sarah Sutherland, Laura Holstein, Niles Kirchner, Dan Spilo and Andrew Stern. Erin Levy executive-produced three episodes, and Liz Garbus executive-produced the pilot. Epps' Naptown Productions is among the production companies involved, alongside Disney's 20th Television, Pompeo's Calamity Jane, Babka Pictures, Andrew Stearn Productions and Industry Entertainment Partners. When are Natalia Grace 'Good American Family' episodes released? The series premiered March 19 with two episodes, with an episode dropped every Wednesday through April 30. Watch 'Good American Family' trailer 'Good American Family' cast: Ellen Pompeo as Kristine Barnett, Natalia's adoptive mother Mark Duplass as Michael Barnett, Natalia's adoptive father Imogen Faith Reid as Natalia Grace Dulé Hill as Det. Brandon Drysdale Sarayu Blue as daycare parent Valika Christina Hendricks as Cynthia Mans How to watch the Natalia Grace series 'Good American Family' The series is being streamed on Hulu and Disney+. How to watch the Natalia Grace docuseries Can't get enough of the Natalia Grace case? There's more. The third season of ' The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,' an Investigation Discovery documentary series, was released in January 2025. It is available on Max and Prime Video.
Forbes
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
How Old Was Natalia Grace When She Was Living Alone? She Testified To Unimaginable Conditions
GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY - 'Name the Lie' - Left to her own devices, Natalia struggles to come to terms ... More with her circumstances and how the world sees her. (Disney/Ser Baffo) Warning: Spoilers ahead from Episode 5 of Hulu's Good American Family. The opening credits of Good American Family Episode 5, 'Too Hurty Without It,' include a disclaimer noting that the claims made in the episode are alleged by Natalia Grace—marking one of the first times the series presents the mysterious true story from her perspective. The fifth episode picks up after Natalia, who has a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, was dropped off at an apartment complex in Indiana by her adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, shortly after they legally changed her age. Natalia's original birth records listed 2003 as her birth year, meaning she would have been around six or seven in 2010. But two years after adopting her, the Barnetts petitioned a Marion County court to change her Ukrainian documents, legally altering her birth year to 1989, making her 22. The Barnetts went to great lengths to change Natalia's age because they were convinced she wasn't who she said she was. They believed she was an adult posing as a child, pointing to early signs of puberty and behavior they found life-threatening. Michael told Good Morning America that doctors who had evaluated Natalia allegedly warned the family that she was a sociopath, a con artist and that they were 'all in danger.' As you watch the alleged conditions Natalia faced while living alone, you might wonder whether these events actually happened—and whether the Barnetts were ever held accountable. During Michael Barnett's trial, Natalia took the stand. She shared disturbing details about her time living in two separate apartments, which are similar to the events depicted in the Hulu drama series. GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY - 'Name the Lie' - Left to her own devices, Natalia struggles to come to terms ... More with her circumstances and how the world sees her. Yes, as depicted in Hulu's Good American Family, the Barnetts set up two apartments for Natalia—one in Westfield and another later in Lafayette, Indiana. During Michael's trial, Indiana State Police Detective Brandon Davenport testified that Michael Barnett claimed they provided Natalia with Social Security disability benefits, food stamps, and Medicaid when they moved her in. Michael also said he checked in on her once a week, according to Journal & Courier. Meanwhile, Natalia testified during Michael's trial that she was abruptly relocated three counties away without any input on where she would live. She also claimed that she didn't know where any stores were or how to get to them. Additionally, Natalia testified that she was unaware the Barnetts and their three biological sons were moving to Canada so their eldest child could begin graduate school at age 15. She recalled being taken to an office in Lafayette, where she signed a lease listing Michael Barnett as the payee for the rent. GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY - 'Name the Lie' - Left to her own devices, Natalia struggles to come to terms ... More with her circumstances and how the world sees her. In 2012, Natalia moved into an apartment in Westfield on North 11th Street, where she had to climb or descend 12 steps to reach the second-floor unit. 'I wanted to be with the Barnetts,' she testified. 'I wanted to live with them.' According to her testimony, Natalia said that during her first year living alone, she mostly survived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Ramen noodles, and the occasional pizza she ordered. Natalia testified that she often got bored in Westfield and would walk three blocks to the library. The walk took her 30 minutes, and she had to stop four or five times to rest because of her disability. A couple of times, she even got lost. (One scene in Good American Family shows Natalia going to the library to get Kristine's book, 'The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius and Autism.' But it's unknown whether this happened in real life.) As the Barnetts prepared to move to Canada, they relocated Natalia again in July 2013—marking her second year living independently. At the time, she said she still didn't know how to cook or use a washing machine, according to the Journal & Courier. As shown in Episode 5, Natalia's disability limited the use of her hands and arms, making everyday tasks like opening canned food or washing herself extremely difficult. She testified that her deformed hips, legs, knees, and feet caused her to fall several times while getting in and out of the bathtub. Natalia testified that she didn't know how to restore the power when her electricity was shut off at her Lafayette apartment. 'I didn't know what to do, honestly,' Natalia said, revealing that she called the landlord who restored the electric service. (In Good American Family, Michael returns to the apartment to get the power back on after failing to pay the electricity bill.) Toby Miles and his wife, Melanie, lived across the street from Natalia's apartment complex in Westfield. In the spring of 2013, Natalia regularly chatted with them about their flowers and landscaping. According to the Journal & Courier, while she didn't look visibly dirty, her body odor was 'profound.' Miles said they could smell her from about 10 feet away while her hair looked greasy and unwashed. GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY - 'Name the Lie' - Left to her own devices, Natalia struggles to come to terms ... More with her circumstances and how the world sees her. Natalia had been living alone for over a year when she moved into her second apartment in Lafayette. One day, while walking down the street, she paused a few houses away to rest. A homeowner noticed her and stepped outside to greet her with unexpected kindness. This homeowner called her friend, Cynthia Mans, who came over and quickly became friends with Natalia. Within a few days, Natalia moved in with Cynthia, her husband Antwon, and their ten children. Cynthia later testified that they charged Natalia $250 a month in rent and taught her how to read, write, and do math. Natalia admitted that she didn't know how to count money, didn't understand the purpose of her food stamp card, and was unaware that she had Social Security disability benefits. The real Natalia Grace when she was living with the Barnett family. In August 2023, a blood test conducted by the medical lab TruDiagnostic determined that Natalia was approximately 22 years old at the time of testing. This finding suggests that Natalia was around nine years old when the Barnetts adopted her in 2010—and only about eleven when she first started living alone in 2012. 'It just proves that I was not lying about my age," Natalia said in an episode of Investigation Discovery's docuseries, Natalia Speaks. "They ignored everything that was pointing to the truth just so they could create this stupid lie. They knew it and they still did what they did.' The ID docuseries also alleges that the Barnetts were aware of an endocrinologist's 2010 evaluation, which estimated Natalia's age to be between nine and eleven years old. A dentist interviewed in the series recalled Kristine visiting his office in 2011 and asking whether he could determine Natalia's age by examining her teeth. After an X-ray, the dentist found that Natalia still had 12 baby teeth. 'When mom and Natalia left mom knew Natalia was around 8 or 9,' the dentist says in the docuseries. The Mans family formally adopted Natalia in 2023. However, things also took a dark turn with her second adoptive parents, Cynthia and Antwon, after they allegedly tried to restrict her internet access after discovering she had a boyfriend in the U.K. According to People, neighbors and friends also allegedly saw the Mans physically abuse Natalia. They claimed that she was whipped with a belt, slapped in the face, locked in a room, and assaulted. (Natalia declined to confirm or deny those allegations to the site.) Natalia is now happily living with the DePaul family, a couple with dwarfism who wanted to adopt her when she was a child. Nicole DePaul told People that while she doesn't plan to adopt Natalia legally, their life together is primarily peaceful, though there are times when they don't get along. GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY - 'Name the Lie' - Left to her own devices, Natalia struggles to come to terms ... More with her circumstances and how the world sees her. Michael and Kristine Barnett were each charged with six counts of neglect of a dependent and two counts of conspiracy to commit neglect of a dependent. However, prosecutors weren't able to charge them with neglect of a child because The Barnetts legally changed Natalia's age to 22, People reported. Michael was acquitted in October 2022 after a jury trial, while the charges against Kristine were dismissed in March 2023 due to 'insufficient evidence.' According to the Purdue Exponent, the charges against Kristine were dismissed with prejudice, meaning she can't be charged again for the same thing. Good American Family is now streaming on Hulu. Watch the official trailer below.
