This article discusses alleged violence and abuse.
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Good American Family episodes 1 & 2.The two-episode premiere of Hulu’sGood American Familyincluded some wild details about the Barnett family’s time with Natalia Grace, but not all of them were completely accurate to the true story. From the start,Good American Familynever set out to be a documentary or completely fact-based piece of true-crime television. Thecast ofGood American Familyis filled with stars of scripted television, andImogen Faith Reid’s age doesn’t match Natalia Grace’s, which is a central part of the allegations. However, there are some glaring inconsistencies between the show and the true story.
Thetrue storyGood American Familyis based oncenters around Kristine (Ellen Pompeo) and Michael Barnett (Mark Duplass) and their adoption of Natalia Grace (Imogen Faith Reid). That period of time when Natalia was living with the Barnetts sparked two separate criminal neglect cases (that have since been dropped), a series of wild accusations and allegations, and a mire of controversy and conflicting accounts. As such,Good American Familyhas set out to dramatically recreate both sides of the event, but Hulu’s show has also changed a surprising number of details from the various allegations and verifiable facts.
7Michael Barnett Claims His Marriage To Kristine Wasn’t In Trouble During Good American Family’s Premiere
Michael Actually Referred To 2010 As A “High Point” In His Marriage To Kristine
A major plotline of the beginning ofGood American Familywas the marital troubles between Kristine and Michael Barnett. The show depicts their marriage as being about to disintegrate, even going as far as to show Michael sleeping on the floor and refusing to have sex with his wife.In real life, however, Michael Barnett claimed that 2010 was a high point in his marriage to Kristine, according to his interview inThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace. Adopting Natalia Grace supposedly drove a wedge between the spouses, but their relationship was solid beforehand.
Ellen Pompeo’s First Leading Show Since Grey’s Anatomy Debuts With Underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes Score
Ellen Pompeo’s first leading role in a TV series since Grey’s Anatomy debuts with an underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes score on the day of its premiere.
6Kristine & Michael Barnett Were Going To Adopt A Girl Named Gilberta, Not Blanca
Michael Claimed That The Barnetts Planned To Adopt Gilberta From Haiti Before The 2010 Earthquake
One of the reasonsGood American Familymay have made Kristine and Michael’s marriage more frigid is because it also changed a major part of their story prior to adopting Natalia Grace.InGood American Family, the Barnetts were fostering a girl named Blanca before their adoption fell through, but in real life, they were trying to adopt a girl named Gilberta(viaThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace). Michael said that they hadn’t even met Gilberta, either, as she was living in Haiti and the 2010 earthquake ended the adoption process prematurely.
5First Path Adoption Agency Isn’t A Real Company In Good American Family
The Real Adoption Agencies Heavily Disputed Michael & Kristine’s Allegations
Another fairly major detail thatGood American Familychanged is the adoption agency Michael and Kristine used to adopt Natalia Grace. In the show, a representative of First Path contacted Kristine and offered her Natalia.In real life, the Barnetts went through two agencies, and the one based in Florida was called Adoption by Shepherd Care, based in Hollywood, Florida(viaNew York Post). It’s possible thatGood American Familychanged the name of the adoption agency to avoid legal trouble, as Adoption by Shepherd Care has heavily disputed the Barnetts' claims about Natalia’s adoption and its legality.
4The Barnetts Were Much More Financially Secure Than Good American Family Makes Them Out To Be
The Barnetts Spent A Week In Florida & Visited Disney World When They Adopted Natalia Grace
Another major plot point thatGood American Familyseemed to add for the sole purpose of drama was Michael and Kristine’s financial troubles. In the show, Kristine had to dip into the money for Jacob’s Place to pay for Natalia’s medical bills and finalize the adoption.In real life, the Barnetts weren’t rich, but they were much more financially secure thanGood American Familydepicts them to be. Jacob Barnett even noted that they spent a week in Florida after picking up Natalia, and that the family took a trip to Disney World while they were there (viaThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace).
3Natalia Grace Never Used A Walker Like Good American Family Depicts
Natalia Grace Always Walked Independently, Though She Did Have Surgeries On Her Feet & Legs
Natalia Grace used a walker for mobility inGood American Family, but that also seems fabricated for the show.The walker was a rather important part of the show, as Natalia Grace was suspended from school for ramming into children with it, and it was one of the earliest signs that something was wrong, as she abandoned it to run to the beach. However, in the Barnetts' own home videos, Natalia Grace never used a walker and was always able to walk independently (viaThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace).Good American Family, it seems, is adding even more details into the Barnetts' allegations.
2There’s No Evidence To Suggest Natalia Grace’s Vaccination Records Were Incomplete
Good American Family Seemingly Fabricated The Problems With Natalia Grace’s Medical Records
Another problem that Natalia Grace’s adoption brought up inGood American Familywas her medical records. Kristine spent much ofGood American Familyepisode 2 trying to track down Natalia’s vaccination records, as the dates had been redacted on the files she got during the adoption. While this detail may have come up during one of the many legal battles and trials,there does not seem to be any indication that Natalia Grace’s vaccination records were altered in the wayGood American Familydepicted them. No major news outlet has reported such details of the case.
1Kristine Barnett Allegedly Discovered Natalia Grace’s Pubic Hair The Same Day They Adopted Her
The Barnetts Were Still In Florida When They Found Out About Natalia Grace’s Pubic Hair
The last major revelation inGood American Familyepisode 2 came at the very end of the episode. As Natalia ran into the bathroom, Kristine followed her and discovered that she had pubic hair, despite the fact that her birth records claimed she was seven years old.Kristine and Michael both claimed that Natalia had pubic hair at the time, but Michael says they discovered this the same day they picked Natalia up, while they were still in Florida(viaThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace). It seemsGood American Familychanged the timeline of the Barnetts' allegations to add to the drama of the show.
