Who is Ellen Pompeo playing in Good American Family? All about the character and its real-life inspiration Kristine Barnett
Ellen Pompeo returns to television in Hulu's new limited series Good American Family, where she takes on the complex role of Kristine Barnett. The series dramatizes the story of Barnett, an Indiana mother who, alongside her then-husband Michael Barnett, adopted a young Ukrainian girl named Natalia Grace in 2010.
Diagnosed with a rare form of dwarfism, Natalia was believed to be six years old at the time; however, Kristine Barnett and her husband later claimed that Natalia was actually a dangerous adult posing as a child, as per People magazine's report on March 19, 2025.
Good American Family explores Barnett’s journey as she navigates accusations of neglect, legal battles, and conflicting narratives. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ellen Pompeo initially hesitated to take on the role due to the polarizing nature of the true story.
The show examines Barnett’s claims and the subsequent fallout, including her controversial decision to legally alter Natalia's age. Through its multi-perspective storytelling, Good American Family revisits the disturbing and often conflicting accounts surrounding Kristine Barnett and her actions.
In February 2014, Michael filed for divorce from Kristine Barnett, a year after they left Grace alone in an Indiana apartment and relocated to Canada
In February 2014, Michael Barnett filed for divorce from Kristine Barnett, a year after they left their adopted daughter, Natalia Grace, alone in an Indiana apartment and moved to Canada, as reported by People.com on March 19, 2025. This event marked a critical point in the case, which has since been adapted into Hulu’s limited series Good American Family, starring Ellen Pompeo as Kristine Barnett.
Kristine Barnett, a mother from Indiana with three biological children, adopted Ukrainian-born Natalia Grace in 2010. The Barnetts, believing Natalia was six years old, later claimed she was an adult posing as a child.
As detailed in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and later dramatized in Good American Family, Kristine Barnett and Michael accused Natalia of disturbing behavior, including making threats against the family. The couple further alleged that Natalia, who has a rare form of dwarfism, was dangerous and not the child they believed her to be.
In 2012, Kristine and Michael successfully petitioned a court to change Natalia’s birth year from 2003 to 1989, legally making her 22 years old. Following the legal re-ageing, Kristine and Michael Barnett moved Natalia into an apartment on North 11th Street in Lafayette, Indiana, in July 2013.
Shortly afterward, they relocated to Canada with their biological children so their prodigy son could study at the Perimeter Institute, leaving Natalia behind without the means to support herself. According to Michael’s police statement, Kristine instructed Natalia to tell anyone who asked that she was 22 and merely looked young for her age, as reported by Journal & Courier on September 19, 2019.
In 2019, Kristine and Michael were charged with neglect of a dependent and conspiracy to neglect a dependent, according to Journal & Courier's report in September 2019. However, Michael was acquitted in 2022, and charges against Kristine were dropped in 2023, citing insufficient evidence, as reported by WTHR.
As per People, Barnett has consistently denied allegations of abuse made by both Natalia and Michael. In a January 2024 Facebook post, Kristine wrote,
“She was not abused by anyone in my family,” .... “Let’s get straight to these allegations. Nobody ever took a belt to Natalia and the allegations that she was ‘beaten’ are just plain false. Any discipline of Natalia was very minimal and was not out of the bounds of normal parenting.”
She also publicly referred to Natalia as a “sociopath” and denied claims of orchestrating the alleged re-aging plot on her own, suggesting that authorities were involved, according to Moviedelic.com. Since these events, Kristine Barnett has worked to re-establish herself as a public figure.
In 2023, she celebrated the 10-year anniversary of her memoir, The Spark: A Mother’s Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism. The book details her experience raising her eldest son, Jacob, a child prodigy.
Kristine now lives in Bradenton, Florida, and has announced a follow-up book titled Witch Hunt: The Kristine Barnett Story, though its release has been delayed, as noted in Moviedelic.com. Good American Family, featuring Ellen Pompeo as Kristine Barnett, brings this complex story back into the spotlight, offering multiple perspectives on the events that unfolded.
The series highlights the conflicting narratives between Kristine, Michael Barnett, and Natalia Grace. Ellen Pompeo remarked that taking on the role of Kristine allowed her to “completely disappear” into a character vastly different from her long-running role in Grey’s Anatomy, according to The Hollywood Reporter on March 19, 2025.
Ultimately, Kristine Barnett remains a polarizing figure as debates regarding Natalia Grace’s true age and the circumstances surrounding her adoption continue to spark public interest.
Stay tuned for more updates.
