Towards the end of Hulu’s new series Good American Family, a moment of irony emerges that feels all too common in true crime docudramas. The character Natalia Grace Barnett—a teenager at this point portrayed by 27-year-old Imogen Faith Reid—reads flattering comments from random internet users. One such remark states, “I feel so bad I doubted you, Natalia, but I guess that’s what the media wanted.”
This reflects the age-old narrative that the media complicates matters, ironically presented by a media piece that exacerbates the situation.
Good American Family dramatizes the convoluted story of Natalia Grace, an adoptee from Ukraine, whose birth date ranges from 2003 to 1989 due to conflicting information and court documents. This eight-episode series revisits the events many Americans recognized in 2019, when her second adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, attracted media scrutiny after adopting and eventually abandoning her when they relocated to Canada without her. The Barnetts publicly described Natalia as a dangerous, deceptive young adult masquerading as a child.
While this plot mirrors the storyline of the film Orphan, it unfolds in reality. (It’s important to note that Natalia Grace’s case did not inspire the 2009 movie as she was adopted in 2010, yet her story may have drawn inspiration from it.) The behavior of the Barnetts led to attempts at criminal charges for neglect, which ultimately failed to hold up. Despite the chaotic details detailed for viewers and the accompanying media frenzy, Hulu’s series falls short of delivering meaningful entertainment or a deeper understanding of an individual whose suffering has been sensationalized.
Here’s an overview of Natalia’s saga, illustrating why this docuseries likely won’t be the last time you’ll encounter her story despite perhaps being better off out of the spotlight.
Natalia was around 6 or 7 at the time of her 2010 adoption
As per their account, Indiana residents Kristine and Michael Barnett along with their three sons presented themselves as a quintessential American family. Kristine authored a widely praised memoir about raising her son Jacob, who is a high-functioning child prodigy. The book, The Spark, received a Goodreads Choice Award nomination in 2013. Notably, it seemed to omit any mention of the daughter they adopted alongside her sons.
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