With the series premiering on Hulu, you’re probably wondering about the true story that inspired Good American Family, similar to how Hulu’s The Act was based on the true story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. The story of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan with a rare form of dwarfism, has already inspired a docuseries, airing on Max. After Natalia was adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett, they began to suspect that she was much older than they were told, leading to a years-long conflict.
What happens in Good American Family?
The true story Good American Family was based on was most notably covered in the ID docuseries, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. In the Hulu series, Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass star as Kristine and Michael Barnett, an American couple who adopt Natalia from Ukraine. Natalia has dwarfism, and the couple are told that she is 6-years-old. However, after Natalia has been living with the family for a while, they begin to suspect that she is actually an adult pretending to be a child, and that she might even be trying to harm them.
Who is the real Natalia Grace?
The real Natalia was adopted by the Barnetts in 2010, but was abandoned by the family in 2013, after they successfully petitioned the court to have her legal birth year changed from 2003 to 1989, per Business Insider. The couple left Natalia on her own in an Indiana apartment, and moved the family to Canada. However, because she was still the couple’s dependent even if legally an adult, the couple was charged in 2019 with neglect. Michael Barnett was later acquitted, and the charges against Kristine were dismissed.
While the Barnetts were initially successful in getting Natalia’s legal age changed, a DNA test in 2023 indicated that Natalia actually was born in 2003, per People, meaning that she was around 8 or 9 years old when the Barnetts adopted her and left her alone in the apartment in Indiana.
Who is Cynthia Mans?
After she was abandoned by her adoptive parents, Natalia’s neighbor, Cynthia Mans, discovered her living alone and took her in, as outlined in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. However, that situation eventually fell apart as well, when Mans and her husband Bishop Antwon were accused of physically and financially abusing Natalia, per The Hollywood Reporter. Natalia then went to live with Vincent and Nicole DePaul, a couple who had actually tried to adopt Natalia prior to the Barnetts.
Where does Natalia live now?
After ten years with the Manses, per People, Natalia escaped with the help of her then-boyfriend, Neil. In 2023, Nicole DePaul and her daughter secretly picked up Natalia outside of a church in Nashville, and Natalia has been living with the family ever since. Like Natalia, the DePauls are little people, and she has been enjoying her newfound sense of security and love. “At first it was bumpy because the Mans were still involved. They were calling Natalia constantly and trying to wheel her back in,” Nicole told People. But, she added, contrary to what Natalia’s previous adoptive parents have said, Nicole has never seen Natalia be violent. “She’s also never done one violent thing ever. Our dogs love her and they sleep with her. I’m an animal lover. If I didn’t trust her, I wouldn’t leave my babies with her. They’re also a judge of character, as well.”
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