Natalia Grace was born in Ukraine in 2003 and was adopted by an American family who believed she was lying about her age due to her rare form of dwarfism. The case inspired the Hulu series “Good American Family.”
The new Hulu and Disney+ series “Good American Family” has brought the case of Natalia Grace back into the spotlight, a Ukrainian girl who was adopted by an American family in 2010 and faced a series of difficulties in the country.
The series, starring Ellen Pompeo, Mark Duplass, and Imogen Faith Reid, follows the moment of the girl’s adoption and the problems she faced with her adoptive family, the Barnetts.
Her parents abandoned Natalia Grace because they thought she was pretending to be an 8-year-old child. The young woman has a rare form of dwarfism, which allegedly caused her parents’ suspicions.
“I feel like I’ve been brainwashed by the Barnetts. Kristine taught me to lie about my age and say that I tried to kill them. Why would you do something like that to your child?” Natalia Grace opened up to People.
Natalia endured abuse from her adoptive parents. She was also abused by her next adoptive family, Cynthia and Antwon Mans, who took her in after she escaped the Barnetts.
Today, she lives with Nicole and Vince DePaul in New York, who had tried to adopt her in 2009 before the Barnetts did. She told People that she is learning to drive and wants to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher.
“I want to be able to be a teacher who encourages kids, so they can feel safe in my classroom,” Natalia said.
+Watch Natalia Grace’s full interview with People
Photos: YouTube Investigation Discovery People. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
