Ellen Pompeo’s New Show Is Based On A Disturbing True Story

Ellen Pompeo may have left Meredith Grey behind, but that doesn’t mean her “dark and twisty” days are over. The former Grey’s Anatomy star has a new Hulu miniseries on the way, and it’s based on a disturbing true crime story. Here’s what to know about Good American Family before its March 19 premiere.

Based On A True Story

The eight-episode limited series follows a Midwestern family after they adopt a girl, Natalia Grace, with a rare form of dwarfism. As the parents raise her with their three biological children, they start to doubt her background and become concerned she’s dangerous. When they try to distance their family from Natalia, “she fights her own battle to confront her past and what her future holds, in a showdown that ultimately plays out in the tabloids and the courtroom,” according to Hulu’s synopsis.

The real Natalia was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010, per The Guardian. Although the couple initially believed she was 6 years old, they later accused her of being an adult. In 2012, they had her age legally changed from 8 to 22, then later left her to live by herself in Indiana while the family relocated to Canada.

Natalia eventually accused Kristine and Michael Barnett of neglect on the basis of her disability. She testified in 2022 that she struggled to take care of herself on her own, including with basic tasks like opening canned food and washing herself, the Journal & Courier reported at the time. The charges against Kristine were eventually dismissed and Michael was acquitted, according to the Independent. The legal battle was previously examined in the docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.

Pompeo, who plays Kristine Barnett, in Good American Family initially turned down the project. “I just thought taking this on would be a landmine,” she told Vanity Fair in January. “This is a scary thing for me to even entertain because it’s intense stuff, and it deals with children, and it deals with children who are neurodivergent and have disabilities. This just seems like really tricky stuff.”

However, she changed her mind. Pompeo recalled her agent telling her, “You’ve always been looking for something to show a completely different color than what you’ve been showing people for 20 years, and this is it.”

Good American Family’s Cast

Pompeo is joined in the limited series by Mark Duplass, who stars as Michael Barnett, and Imogen Reid as Natalia Grace. The cast also includes recurring guest stars Dulé Hill, Christina Hendricks, Sarayu Blue, and Jenny O’Hara.

Good American Family’s Premiere Date

The miniseries is set to premiere on Hulu on Wednesday, March 19. The first two episodes will drop at the same time, and then the following episodes will be released weekly.