On Wednesday, Hulu released its new drama series “Good American Family,” which is inspired by the real story of a couple who came to distrust the girl they’d adopted.
The couple, Kristine and Michael Barnett, thought they’d adopted a 7-year-old Ukrainian orphan with a unique form of dwarfism. But shortly after the adoption, questions started to arise about her age.
The case of Natalia Grace has been covered multiple times before, but Hulu is aiming to “more accurately portray” what the Barnetts experienced, according to People.
From the real-life story that inspired the series to the cast, here is what to know before watching Hulu’s “Good American Family.”
Is ‘Good American Family’ based on a true story?
“Good American Family” is based on a true story. Here’s what we know.
Grace was a Ukrainian orphan who was brought to the U.S. in 2008, when she was adopted by a couple in New Hampshire. Her paperwork stated that she was born in 2003 with a form of dwarfism called diastrophic dysplasia, which affects bone growth and leads to severe skeletal abnormalities, according to Today.
Just two years later in 2010, the couple in New Hampshire put Grace up for re-adoption. That is when Kristine and Michael Barnett — who had three boys of their own — adopted her.
Shortly after they brought Grace home, questions about her age started to arise. The Barnetts' started to believe that she was an adult after discovering she had pubic hair and adult teeth, according to Time.
Michael Barnett said that a detective thought that Grace’s birth certificate looked fake. These discoveries lead the family to then change her age in 2012 from 8 to 22.
However, Today reported that before Grace’s age was changed, doctors had determined that she was a minor based on a skeletal survey and other examinations.
In 2013, the Barnetts' moved Grace into an apartment and made her live on her own. They then fled to Canada. They claimed “she was an adult ‘sociopath’ who had been masquerading as a child and wanted to harm them,” according to People.
Shortly after Grace was moved into her apartment, she met Antwon and Cynthia Mans. Today reported that Grace moved in with them and was eventually adopted by the family in 2023.
But it would then be only six months after the adoption that Grace would leave the Manses to live happily with Nicole and Vincent DePaul — a New York couple with dwarfism.
In 2023, Investigation Discovery released a docuseries about the case with interviews from Grace, Michael Barnett and others involved in the case, attempting to reveal the truth.
The “Good American Family” series is split in half in an attempt to show multiple perspectives.
According to People the first four episodes of the show are from Kristine Barnett’s perspective, while the last four are turned over to Grace’s point of view.
The cast of ‘Good American Family’
Ellen Pompeo from “Grey’s Anatomy” is stepping out of the hospital as she takes on the role of Grace’s former adoptive mother, Kristine Barnett. Mark Duplass plays her husband, Michael Barnett.
A new face, Imogen Faith Reid, stars as Natalia Grace in the series.
They are all joined by Christina Hendricks, who will be playing Cynthia Mans and Jerod Haynes, who will be playing Antwon Mans.
Where can I watch ‘Good American Family’?
“Good American Family” is available on Hulu and Disney+. Watch the trailer for the show below.
You can also watch ID’s three season docuseries, “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” on Max.