The name of Ukrainian adoptee Natalia Grace is back in the headlines with the release of Hulu’s series “Good American Family,” which follows the story of the second family to welcome Natalia into their home.
The docuseries was released on Investigation Discovery in 2023 and quickly amassed millions of viewers. The third season was released in January 2025.
What is “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” about?
The docuseries follows the story of Natalia Grace, who was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010. The pair were the second family to adopt Natalia; Dyan and Gary Ciccone first brought her from Ukraine to the United States in 2008 but gave up their parental rights due to Natalia’s behavior.
The Barnetts eventually accused Natalia Grace of lying about her age and of attempting to kill one or both of them several times. The pair had Natalia “re-aged” by a court (Natalia did not have her own legal representation during this process) from 8 to 22 and subsequently left her in an apartment and ceased communication with her completely.
The Barnetts also claimed Natalia had pubic hair, adult teeth, and her period by the time they adopted her, which further led them to believe she was lying about her age.
Natalie has repeatedly denied the allegations against her. In January 2025 she told People, “I didn’t understand why I was alone. I just knew I had this instinct in me to push and survive. All I was told was, ‘You’re 22 now. Whenever somebody asks you what your age is, you say you’re 22 and you tried to murder your family.’ I was taught to lie.”
“The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” began airing on ID in May 2023.
Is “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” on streaming?
The docuseries is streaming on several platforms:
