‘Good American Family’ True Story: Who Is Natalia Grace and Where Is She Now?

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Hulu’s latest miniseries titled “Good American Family” is generating renewed curiosity surrounding the narrative of Natalia Grace, a young woman who faced allegations of age falsification from her adoptive family.

In September of 2003, I, a little girl from Ukraine, entered the world with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia – a unique condition that impacted my bone growth. My life took a turn for the better in 2010 when the wonderful couple, Kristine and Michael Barnett, who are portrayed by Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass on a new TV show, decided to adopt me. They already had three sons, one of whom has autism.

The Barnetts quickly grew suspicious that Grace might not be truthful about her age. They later argued they observed signs such as growing pubic hair and the emergence of adult teeth. Consequently, they took legal action in an Indiana court to amend Grace’s birth year from 2003 to 1989. Furthermore, they accused Grace of trying to harm their family; at one point, they claimed she placed thumb tacks on the stairs for the Barnetts to accidentally step on. In the year 2013, they abruptly left Grace behind and fled to Canada.

A month following her independence, Grace made the acquaintance of Cynthia Mans (portrayed by Christiana Hendricks in the series). Cynthia offered Grace a place to stay with Christian pastor Antwon Mans. In an attempt to take legal custody of Grace in 2016, they petitioned the court; however, a hearing was necessary to establish if she had reached the age of majority. A lengthy court case ensued, and eventually, they were able to legally adopt her in 2023.

Eventually, she managed to break free due to disputes regarding her independence. Yet, in the documentary “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter,” Grace expressed warm feelings towards the Manses family and their 10 children. However, individuals who witnessed the events in the docuseries alleged that they had observed the Manses physically abusing her, a point that Grace did not address.

A while back, Grace shared her story in an interview with People. She discussed her time living with the Barnetts: “The only thing I was told was, ‘You’re now 22 years old. Whenever someone asks about your age, you say 22 and claim you attempted to harm your family.’ I learned to deceive.

Despite years of debate regarding Grace’s true age, a DNA test conducted in January 2024 appears to have verified that she was indeed a child when the Barnetts adopted her in 2010. However, it’s crucial to mention that Business Insider stated that DNA tests are primarily used for health assessments rather than precisely determining one’s chronological age.

In 2014, the Barnetts decided to part ways through divorce. Since then, Kristine has written a book titled “The Spark: A Mother’s Journey Through Nurturing, Genius, and Autism,” which shares her experiences with her autistic son. Additionally, in the documentary “The Enigma of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks,” Michael was seen alongside Grace and made the statement, “We both faced the same challenge.

I reside amidst the warm embrace of the DePaul household, a unique group of individuals sharing the same condition as myself – dwarfism – nestled in the tranquil landscapes of upstate New York.

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2025-03-20 02:46