How Long Did Natalia Grace Live on Her Own? ‘Good American Family’ Spotlights Orphan

The fifth episode of Hulu’s Good American Family marks a dramatic pivot in its storytelling. For the first few episodes, the show was largely told from the perspective of the Barnetts, but the latest episode shows the viewpoint of Natalia Grace—the Ukrainian-born girl at the center of the controversial adoption story.

Until now, the series has chronicled the experiences and claims of the Barnett family, the Indiana couple who adopted Natalia in 2010 and later alleged she was an adult posing as a child. Episode five, released this week, begins to center Natalia’s voice, examining the period when she was left to live on her own while still legally a minor.

The series, based on the viral and contentious case, is now asking viewers to consider how a child could be left without support and whether justice has been served.

Why It Matters

Natalia Grace’s story became a national fascination after her adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, were charged in 2019 with neglect. They claimed Natalia was not a child but a dangerous adult who misrepresented her age. Their assertions led a judge to change Natalia’s birth year from 2003 to 1989, legally making her 22 at the time they left her to live alone in a Lafayette, Indiana apartment in 2013.

This week’s episode of Good American Family reexamines that decision through a different lens. For the first time in the series, viewers are presented with Natalia’s emotional and physical reality as she recounts being alone as a teenager—still a child by her own account and that of subsequent courts.

“I think that there’s a lot to say about her experience and what it reflects back on society. I think that what happened to Natalia would not have happened had she not had dwarfism, had she not had a disability, and had people not made assumptions based on growth patterns in people of average stature,” creator Katie Robbins told Deadline of the latest episode.

Was Natalia Grace a Child When She Was Adopted?

Yes, Natalia Grace was a child at the time of her adoption, according to the findings of a later court ruling. Though Michael and Kristine Barnett successfully petitioned a court in 2012 to change Natalia’s birth year to 1989—effectively making her 22 years old—the Marion County Superior Court overturned that decision in 2023.

It legally reestablished her birth year as 2003, as originally recorded on her Ukrainian birth certificate. As Newsweek previously reported, this change reaffirmed that she was about 6 years old when the Barnetts adopted her in 2010.

How Old Was Natalia Grace When She Lived Alone?

Based on the corrected legal birth year of 2003, Natalia Grace was around 8 years old when she was abandoned by her parents and placed in an apartment, first in Westfield and later in Lafayette, Indiana, in 2013. While the Barnetts argued she was an adult capable of independent living, Natalia testified in court that she was a minor and not equipped to care for herself.

How Long Did Natalia Grace Live Alone?

Natalia Grace lived alone for a year before moving into her second apartment. During this time, she reportedly survived on her own with limited support and intermittent visits from neighbors and church members who had concerns about her welfare.

Forbes reported that at Michael Barnett’s trial, Indiana State Police Detective Brandon Davenport testified that Barnett said the family arranged for Natalia to receive Social Security disability payments, food stamps, and Medicaid after moving her into the apartment. Barnett also claimed he visited her weekly, according to the Journal & Courier.

In contrast, Natalia testified that she was suddenly moved three counties away and had no say in where she would live. She added that she didn’t know the locations of any nearby stores or how to reach them.

While on her own, Forbes reported that Natalia had to climb or descend 12 steps to reach her second-floor apartment. According to court records, Natalia said she mostly ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ramen noodles, and takeout pizza.

Natalia testified that while living in Westfield, she sometimes walked three blocks to the library out of boredom. Forbes reported that the trip took her about 30 minutes, and due to her disability, she needed to pause four or five times to rest. She also mentioned that she occasionally got lost along the way.

Eventually, Natalia rested outside a house in Lafayette when a homeowner noticed her and offered kindness. According to Forbes, that neighbor contacted her friend Cynthia Mans, who soon met Natalia and formed a quick bond. Just days later, Natalia moved in with Cynthia, her husband Antwon, and their 10 children.

Where Is Natalia Grace Today?

According to several reports, Grace lived with and was eventually legally adopted by Antwon and Cynthia Mans in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.

However, according to People, Grace accused them of controlling her and forbidding her from contacting outsiders. She is now living with a couple in upstate New York.

What People Are Saying

Natalia Grace, in an interview with People: “It’s a blessing to be alive today because looking back at my 7-year-old self, I should have been dead.”

Good American Family creator Katie Robbins told Deadline about Episode 5: “All of a sudden, we’re with her by herself. She doesn’t have to be performing for anyone. If she’s an adult, she doesn’t need to be acting like a child. Yet she is. So there’s this kind of downshift in tone that happens. It becomes a bit more grounded. It becomes a bit more gritty, because suddenly, we are with Natalia, and we are in her version of her experience.”

Imogen Faith Reid, who plays Natalia Grace on Good American Family, told Today.com: “Our show does a brilliant job of playing with multiple perspectives and creating our own versions of our characters. And you really have to watch it all to get the full picture of what’s going on.”

What Happens Next

The final episodes of Good American Family are expected to delve deeper into the court proceedings, including the decisions that allowed Natalia to live alone and the later rulings that corrected her legal age.

Meanwhile, the case has prompted growing public scrutiny around guardianship laws and the standards of oversight for adoptive families. As Robbins told Deadline, the intention behind the show is not just to revisit a controversial case but to ask, “What does a family really mean? And who do we hold accountable when systems fail?”