Where is Jacob Barnett now? All about Michael and Kristine Barnett’s son
Jacob Barnett, the eldest biological child of Michael and Kristine Barnett, gained public attention as both a science prodigy and a figure connected to the controversial Natalia Grace case. Diagnosed with autism at age two, Jacob Barnett defied medical predictions and excelled academically.
According to The Cinemaholic, March 18, 2025, by age 8, he was auditing university-level physics and mathematics courses, and by 15, he was conducting research at Canada’s Perimeter Institute. While Jacob Barnett was building a reputation as a gifted physicist, his family was embroiled in legal battles involving Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism whom the Barnetts adopted.
Barnett later admitted during The Curious Case of Natalia Grace documentary that he feared Natalia and felt complicit in his mother’s actions. Jacob Barnett’s story has resurfaced due to Hulu’s Good American Family, a drama inspired by the Barnett family’s ordeal. Today, Jacob is focused on his postdoctoral research at the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics in Spain while staying away from the public eye.
Jacob Barnett was unable to be present at his father’s 2022 trial as he was occupied with completing his doctorate at the time
Jacob Barnett was unable to be present at his father’s 2022 trial as he was working on completing his doctorate in physics. By then, Barnett was deep into his academic career, balancing advanced research commitments and a thesis at the University of Waterloo. Despite his absence at the courtroom, his name remained tied to the case, largely due to the events surrounding the Barnett family's adoption of Natalia Grace.
Jacob Barnett, the eldest son of Michael and Kristine Barnett, was still in his pre-teens when his parents adopted Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan who has a rare form of dwarfism. According to The Cinemaholic, on March 18, 2025, soon after Natalia arrived, the Barnetts claimed that she displayed violent tendencies, including an alleged attempt to push Jacob out of a moving car and another incident where she was reportedly found standing near their bed holding a knife.
As per Investigation Discovery’s The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, Barnett later revealed that he feared Natalia during her stay with the family but also admitted to participating in some of the abuse directed toward her, at his mother’s behest. According to Moviedelic, he expressed he has guilt about being coerced to urinate on Natalia’s bed, and said he was "apologetic."
"I kinda feel like [I was] a Nazi following orders, in a way," he said.
The case drew further attention when Kristine Barnett wrote The Spark: A Mother’s Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism, highlighting Jacob Barnett’s early brilliance. Diagnosed with autism at age two, Jacob overcame initial setbacks to become a child prodigy with an IQ reportedly estimated at 170. By 10, he was studying advanced physics at Indiana University, and by 15, he was accepted into the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics as per the site The Treetop.
Jacob Barnett’s relationship with Natalia, however, remained distant. According to his accounts, their bond never deepened, and the trauma that unfolded within the household had lasting effects. When Jacob left for Ontario to study at the Perimeter Institute, Natalia was allegedly left to live alone in an apartment, a move that fueled the allegations of neglect.
Currently, Barnett works as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics in Bilbao, Spain, focusing on quantum many-body problems. He has since distanced himself from the controversy but spoke candidly in the documentary about the environment he grew up in.
As per Good American Family, Hulu’s dramatized series, the case continues to spark debate, presenting multiple perspectives, including the psychological and legal complexities faced by the Barnett family.
Stay tuned for more updates.
