What was Kristine Barnett charged with? Details explored as Hulu drops Good American Family
Kristine Barnett is at the center of a controversial legal case involving her adoptive daughter, Natalia Grace. In 2012, she had Natalia's age legally altered from 8 to 22, claiming the child was masquerading as an adult. However, Natalia was later diagnosed with a rare form of dwarfism called diastrophic dysplasia, as per a report by Today.
This story is the subject of the latest Hulu series, Good American Family, which premiered on the platform on March 19, 2025. This show follows the accusations of mistreatment that culminated in legal charges. The official synopsis of the show reads:
"A Midwestern couple who adopts what they believe is little girl with dwarfism. As they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, falling into a battle fought in the tabloids, the courtroom and ultimately their marriage."
Kristine Barnett, along with her husband Michael, was charged with multiple counts of neglecting a dependent in 2015. However, after a trial, Michael was found not guilty, and the charges against Kristine were dropped.
Who is Kristine Barnett and what did she do?
Kristine Barnett, an Indiana resident and mother of three boys, adopted Natalia Grace, with her then-husband Michael Barnett in 2010. According to adoption records, Natalia, a Ukranian child, was allegedly seven years old, as per Today.
Kristine Barnett is played on-screen by actress Ellen Pompeo, from the Emmy-Winning show, Grey’s Anatomy. Kristine was already a well-known public speaker who shared her experience raising her son, Jacob Barnett, a physics prodigy with autism. She has also authored a 2013 memoir titled The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism.
Within months of Natalia’s arrival, Kristine and Michael started to suspect the truth about her age. They noticed many adult physical features such as body hair, adult teeth, and menstruation, which she allegedly attempted to hide, according to Time Magazine.
As shown in Good American Family, Kristine Barnett became desperate to prove the truth about Natalia’s age and went on a determined quest to find medical evidence that corroborated her suspicions.
According to Time Magazine, Kristine sought the help of doctors who agreed to assess her to determine her real age. As revealed by Michael in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, the suspicions gained even more momentum when a detective believed Natalia's birth certificate to be false.
In 2012, the Indiana court altered her legal birth year from 2003 to 1989, making Natalia an adult, in the eye of the law, effective immediately. Natalia was then made to live independently in an apartment, away from the Barnett family.
As per People, Natalia’s life in the apartment became increasingly difficult as she could not access basic amenities such as a stove, shelves, or mailbox owing to her physical limitations. This raised concerns about neglect, as she was not provided adequate support to survive on her own.
In one of the episodes of the series, it was revealed that Natalia's DNA test results confirmed that she was indeed 7 years old at the time of adoption and that she had a rare form of dwarfism.
In the docuseries, Natalia explained the difficulty of her condition and her eventual relief as she was taken in by her neighbor, Cynthia Mans, in 2023, in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.
In the same docuseries, Natalia claimed that she was abused by Kristine Barnett, who allegedly pepper sprayed her multiple times and struck her with a belt. However, Kristine denied the allegations of abuse in a Facebook post published in 2024. She stated that Natalia was loved and cared for by the entire family and continued:
"If there had been any abuse of Natalia or evidence of it, I would have been found guilty of it and I would be in jail."
Kristine Barnett is the central point in Good American Family, and the title focuses on the lengths she would go to protect her family.
The show ends on a hopeful note, as Natalia finds love, acceptance, and autonomy. Good American Family is an exploration of the complicated relationship between Natalia and Kristine Barnett, and it all led to Natalia’s journey of self-discovery.
Good American Family is currently streaming on Hulu.
