Good American Family: Natalia's Age Shock Reveal!

In the seventh episode of “Good Witch” titled ‘If You Tell a Story Well Enough’, Natalia Grace persists in her struggle against Michael and Kristine Barnett, while medical findings support what everyone had suspected regarding her true age.

According to the documentary series “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” the Hulu series delves into the year 2010 when the Barnetts adopted Natalia. However, their claims quickly shifted, suggesting that Natalia was actually an adult disguised as a child to deceive them. In 2012, they officially changed her age from eight years old to 22 years old.

In contrast, for those who have kept up with the actual storyline, it’s worth noting that Natalia was actually a young child when she was adopted and subsequently moved into her new home independently. This narrative unfolds in the television series “Good American Family,” as Episode 6 introduces her new adoptive couple, Cynthia and Antwon Mans.

In the most recent installment, the narrative leaps back and forth through different timeframes, encompassing Natalia’s stay at a psychiatric facility, a startling court hearing, the Barnetts’ separation, and a well-known episode featuring Dr. Phil. For those not acquainted with this case, beware: potential spoilers lie ahead.

Natalia Grace builds her case

In Episode 7 of “Good American Family,” the narrative unfolds within a psychiatric facility, with Natalia sharing a spooky tale to her latest companion, Sky, in the children’s ward.

Suddenly, a nurse enters and swiftly takes Natalia, explaining that she’s been reassigned due to an age change and is being transferred to the adult ward. Natalia pleads to take her teddy bear Hercules along, but the nurse denies the request.

In the scenario, Natalia finds herself in a room with a man, who’s confined to a bed. A nurse warns her that if she doesn’t act appropriately, she may also be restrained.

For people not familiar with The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, it’s important to note that this true story transpired. The Barnetts managed to alter Natalia’s legal age from 8 to 22 years old following her admission into a psychiatric facility. Consequently, she was relocated to the adult wing.

We shift focus to the current moment, as Natalia shares her harrowing account of the event to Detective Brandon Drysdale, with Cynthia standing beside her. Cynthia is seething with anger because the legal issues haven’t been resolved yet.

Brandon clarifies that the Barnetts have secured the sealing of Natalia’s re-aging records in probate court. However, there’s a possible solution – they could contest this action by asserting that Natalia was denied fair legal proceedings, as she was confined in a ward and absent during her age change hearing.

He clarifies that while the decision to re-age may not have been incorrect, there is room for debate about how the process was carried out.

Kristine and Michael Barnett get served

The Good American Family travels back to the year 2014, where Michael and Kristine are residing peacefully in Canada, according to Michael’s thoughts.

Kristine is currently marketing her book about autism, while Jacob is smoothly progressing through graduate school. On the other hand, Michael seems blissfully unaware of any issues within their family, living in a dream world. Suddenly, a surprising development arises: a motion has been submitted to challenge the age determination made for Natalia.

Michael makes an effort to comfort Kristine by telling her he’ll take care of it and ensure they can keep it at bay while she goes traveling. However, when he refuses the request, they simply resubmit it repeatedly, leading to what Michael calls “a perpetual ordeal of paperwork that lasted for three long years.

In August 2017, the situation came to a halt. However, this time around, the Barnetts receive a fresh petition: they are asked to assume the role of Natalia’s legal guardians for Cynthia and Antwon.

Michael believes this plan is excellent, but he might not know that it could result in legal consequences leading to imprisonment. “The main reason we’ve been able to reject these appeals is due to our status as her legal guardians,” remarks Kristine.

As soon as she’s out of their care, they could effectively revert her back to childhood status. Have you any idea about the consequences if they were to do that? Then, they could accuse us of abandoning a minor. And can you fathom why that would be disastrous? Why it would potentially ruin our lives?

Kristine instructs Michael to return to Indiana for an important hearing. However, he’s looking forward to their upcoming date night. But she makes it clear, “Until this matter is resolved, the store will remain shut.

Michael makes a shocking discovery

Later on, Michael returns to Indiana for a meeting arranged by Val with a lawyer. In this meeting, documents known as “the Natalia papers,” which were kept post-adoption, are sent over by Kristine. These papers consist of a modest collection of records.

In simpler terms, Michael is helping Kristine, who isn’t very tech-friendly, make and share an album. Unfortunately, she unintentionally adds a collection of private photos, which he soon recognizes were not meant for him as they have been abstaining from any intimate relationship for quite some time now.

Following the meeting, he finds himself in his car, tuned into Meat Loaf’s ‘I’d Do Anything for Love’, pondering his next move. Instead of approaching Kristine directly about the explicit images she had sent, he chose to acknowledge one of them with a thumbs up.

Immediately after Kristine calls, they have an argument. She attempts to manipulate him by making him doubt his sanity, but he refuses to fall for it and ends the relationship instead.

Michael seeks solace over drinks at a local watering hole, encountering his ex-workmate Jennifer there. They share nostalgic moments and memories from the past over rounds of tequila, culminating in a heartfelt kiss.

The hearing that changed nothing

In episode 7 of ‘Good American Family’, the scene shifts to a court hearing. Here, Natalia’s attorney and the Mans’ legal representative declare the submission of not one but two legal documents.

1. Option one would involve Cynthia and Antwon becoming Natalia’s new legal guardians.

2. Option two would entail overturning the 2012 decision that raised Natalia’s legal age from eight to 22 years old.

Initially, the judge appears to favor the Barnetts, disregarding substantial medical evidence suggesting that Natalia was a minor at the time. Despite this strong evidence presented by her attorney, he is ignored.

Later on, the Barnetts’ attorney introduces Dr. Lawrence, who asserts that he reviewed Natalia’s medical documents. He contends that when Natalia was admitted to Larue Psychiatric Hospital, she had been experiencing menstruation for a considerable period of time, and that she was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (commonly known as sociopathy).

Despite Cynthia’s knowledge that this claim is false, as Natalia hasn’t had a single period during their care and has only consulted with Dr. Lawrence once, the judge remains unconvinced by their argument.

Ultimately, the judge calls for Natalia to step up. However, she believes this is her opportunity to present her argument; instead, he communicates, “I’ve gathered all the information necessary.

He states that there’s no change in my guardianship decision, and I won’t be reversing the 2012 re-aging decision either. Today, I haven’t seen anything that suggests the outcome would have been different if you had been involved in that process.

The Manns visit to console Natalia, but Detective Drysdale maintains they’ll file an appeal. However, Cynthia refuses to listen to such suggestions, as she feels Natalia has suffered enough and should not have to endure the appeals process once more.

Doctors confirm Natalia’s real age

Years ago, I, a dedicated gamer, found myself agreeing with others who shared my passion for mystery-solving, as we delved into the role of Detective Drysdale. However, down the line, life took an unexpected turn when my partner and I welcomed a daughter into our family. This shift in personal circumstances led me to reconsider my earlier stance on the matter.

He chooses to review the case files again, aware that the Barnetts had been concealing information. In the year 2019’s summer, he makes a trip to see Dr. Lawrence, and this encounter turns out to be quite informative.

Lawrence openly states that he played no role in the “re-aging industry” – meaning his assertion about Natalia’s long-term menstruation and her diagnosis as a sociopath was false.

Additionally, he acknowledges that he met Natalia just once, explaining, “Michael and Kristine shared the specialist reports with me, which I recorded on paper for their convenience. They’re honest individuals, and I was merely lending a hand.

Recognizing potential responsibility in this situation, he queries, “Could there be some form of accountability for me involved?” Detective Drysdale responds, “Let me verify. I’ll require the names of the experts you’re referring to.

The truth emerged when he conversed with the team of experts who examined Natalia in the 2010s. They all agreed that their findings indicated Natalia was indeed a minor at that time.

In case you haven’t watched The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, let me share another aspect of this intriguing tale. It is a fact that Natalia went through numerous evaluations to determine her age, but none of these tests supported the Barnetts’ assertions that she was an adult or had begun puberty.

In simpler terms, Drysdale takes this matter to his supervisor, who states that they require a confession from the Barnetts in order to take the case to trial.

Given their recent messy divorce, it’s quite likely that either Michael or Kristine might betray each other in this situation.

The infamous Dr. Phil interview

In the latest episode, the TV show swiftly transitions to an interview featuring Drysdale with Michael. Instead of genuinely reassuring him, he employs a seemingly benevolent ploy by bringing up the offer for his kids as a ruse to create a misleading feeling of safety.

In due time, Michael will be singing like a birdie. He alleges that Kristine assaulted Natalia when they lived together, and he claims to have recorded at least one of these incidents as evidence, in case Kristine might turn against him later.

He explained that the reason for his actions toward their daughter was primarily due to an age difference issue. He mentioned that this had been a long-standing concern for him, as she seemed overly fixated on it.

As a fan, I’d rephrase it as: Michael shares that this incident occurred when they were told Natalia was roughly eight years old. I find myself wondering, “Did you all understand she was still a child during this time?” I ask because, if that’s the case, then their ex-partner might have been guilty of child abuse.

Believing this could get him his sons back, Michael says, “Yes, we knew she was a kid.”

Following their encounter, Michael makes his way home with a sense of satisfaction, unaware that his actions may have incriminated him. “If you admitted to the detective that you knew she was underage, then it’s likely that you’re also implicated,” Jen clarifies.

Subsequently, we arrive at the trial of Kristine, where she denies responsibility for six counts of negligence and two alleged conspiracies to commit such acts of negligence.

Or more informally:
At her trial, Kristine claimed innocence for six charges of neglect and two conspiracy-to-neglect accusations.

In a gathering with Michael, Jen, and their legal team, she proceeds despite Jen’s reservations about the plan. However, they decide to present a unified stance to bolster their argument in court.

As Natalia openly narrates her experiences, Kristine and Michael propagate their account, ensuring it’s the most prominent.

2025-04-23 10:26

Good American Family: Natalia’s Age Shock Reveal!