Natalia Grace’s Interview with Dr. Phil Spotlighted in ‘Good American Family’: What to Know

The latest episode of Hulu’s Good American Family has reignited public interest in a 2019 interview between Dr. Phil McGraw and Natalia Grace, the Ukrainian-born orphan at the center of a controversial adoption case. The series’ penultimate episode revisits the case, highlighting the televised exchange that drew national scrutiny and deepened the public’s fascination with Natalia’s complicated story.

In the Dr. Phil episode, Natalia appeared on camera to address accusations by her former adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, who claimed she was not a child but an adult woman posing as a minor. The Good American Family installment shows a portion of that interview, where McGraw asks Natalia if she was a child or an adult.

Why It Matters

The case of Natalia Grace captured international attention in 2019 when the Barnetts were charged with neglect after abandoning her in Lafayette, Indiana. They contended that she was an adult pretending to be a child and had manipulated her way into their family.

Natalia’s case has renewed attention thanks to the eight-episode Hulu series, Good American Family. The series, starring Ellen Pompeo, Imogen Faith Reid, and Mark Duplass, focuses on the Barnetts adopting Natalia, her abandonment, and how she came to live with the Mans family. The series aired its first episode on Wednesday, March 19, with a new episode dropping every Wednesday.

The series finale airs on Wednesday, April 30.

What to Know

The Barnetts adopted Natalia in 2010, believing she was a child, but later claimed she was 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 in 2013.

During the Dr. Phil interview, Natalia denied the allegations. “It’s not true at all,” she said, as reported by USA Today, visibly emotional while responding to McGraw’s question about whether she had scammed the Barnetts by lying about her age.

McGraw himself questioned the logic of the Barnetts’ claims, asking, “Are you a 33-year-old scam artist?”

After the Barnetts relinquished custody, Natalia needed a new home. She was introduced to Cynthia Mans by one of her neighbors in 2013. Natalia and Cynthia formed a quick bond, and days later, Natalia moved in with the Mans family.

Eventually, Natalia left the Mans family following several years of what she and others have described as strict, religiously driven parenting. She now lives with the DePaul family, who took her in after she left the Manses. As reported by Today.com, the DePauls—described as a supportive household—have helped Natalia rebuild her life following years of instability.

What Did Natalia Grace Say in the Dr. Phil Interview?

Natalia appeared on Dr. Phil after the Barnetts’ accusations sparked a criminal investigation and legal proceedings. In the episode, she insisted, “I just want people to hear my side.”

McGraw, speaking directly to Natalia, said, “They say that you scammed them. That you lied about your age and came over here and terrorized them.”

Natalia’s then-current guardians, Antwon and Cynthia Mans, also appeared on the program. Cynthia Mans said, “We are supposed to help. Me and my husband adopted these kids. It’s like who would do it if you don’t,” as reported by USA Today.

The couple shared that they felt compelled to care for Natalia, who they believed was a vulnerable child mistreated by her previous family.

The Dr. Phil episode included discussions about Natalia’s medical history and disputed bone scans. Natalia told McGraw, “I don’t remember going through a bone scan. I remember going through a bone scan in Michigan.”

Cynthia Mans added, “And the bone scan in Michigan said she was 14,” to which Natalia replied, “I even have paperwork saying that.”

Was Natalia Grace Actually an Adult?

According to her birth certificate, Natalia Grace was born in 2003, meaning she would have been around 6 or 7 years old when the Barnetts adopted her in 2010. Hospital and dental records supported this estimate, with one dentist determining she was about 8 or 9 years old based on 2011 X-rays. However, in 2012, a judge approved the Barnetts’ request to change her legal birth year to 1989.

In 2023, a blood test confirmed that Natalia was approximately 22 years old, suggesting that she had been 9 when the Barnetts adopted her, according to People.

“It just proves that I was not lying about my age,” Natalia said on Natalia Speaks. “They ignored everything that was pointing to the truth just so they could create this stupid lie.”

Did the Barnetts Go to Jail?

Kristine and Michael Barnett were charged with neglect but pleaded not guilty. Both were placed under a gag order that prevented them from publicly discussing the case at the time of the Dr. Phil interview.

Neither Michael nor Kristine Barnett served time in jail. Michael was found not guilty in 2022, and charges against Kristine were dropped in 2023.

In a deleted Facebook post, Kristine Barnett wrote: “If there had been any abuse of Natalia or evidence of it, I would have been found guilty of it and I would be in jail,” People reported.

She added, “I believe Natalia takes advantage of that sympathy to manipulate people.”

What People Are Saying

In the 2019 Dr. Phil episode, Dr. Phil McGraw said to Natalia Grace: “There’s a big debate about how old you are. To me, it doesn’t make any difference. You’re a human being that needs love and caring and [nurturing]. It doesn’t make a difference to me if you’re 43 or 14…but it mattered to the Barnetts.”

In the 2019 Dr. Phil interview, Natalia Grace said: “I don’t want people to see me as what they have been saying I am. I want them to see my personality, I want them to see me, not what people are saying.”

What Happens Next

Good American Family continues to explore the implications of public exposure and the long-lasting impact of viral news stories. As viewers await the season finale, the show’s inclusion of Natalia’s televised statements underscores how a single interview can shape public discourse.