Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Good American Family episode 3.The new episode ofGood American Familyturned the drama and suspense up even further, but it also introduced new inconsistencies with the real story.Good American Familyis based on the true storyof Michael and Kristine Barnett adopting Natalia Grace. The all-starcast ofGood American Familyisn’t telling a direct adaptation of the facts and allegations of the case, but rather a thriller story inspired by real events. That was apparent immediately, asGood American Familyepisodes 1 and 2 had significant inconsistencies, and the new episodes only added to the list.
The issue ofNatalia Grace’s age inGood American Familyis hotly contested and heavily debated, so there’s no clear way to determine an objective truth about the situation. Still,Good American Familyhas a huge amount of allegations, claims, court proceedings, and recorded interviews to work with that have established two conflicting accounts of the events: one from the Barnetts, and one from Natalia Grace. There’s no telling which version is closer to the truth, butGood American Familybroke away from both accounts in these five different ways.
5Circuit City Closed In 2009, A Year Before Good American Family Takes Place
Michael Wasn’t Hiding His Unemployment From Kristine In Good American Family’s Timeline
A major subplot ofGood AmericanFamilyso far, and a major source of contention between Michael and Kristine, has been Michael’s unemployment after the closing of Circuit City, the former brick and mortar tech store chain.Circuit City, however, closed all of its stores in the United States in March, 2009 (viaAbout), a full year beforeGood American Familytakes place. Michael Barnett did work at Circuit City at some point (viaInTouch), but he wasn’t unemployed when the family adopted Natalia Grace, and his unemployment didn’t drive a wedge between him and Kristine.
Good American Family’s decision to focus on Michael’s professional struggles also exacerbates a problem it had in the premiere.Good American Familyhas been highlighting the idea that the Barnetts were experiencing financial difficulties when they adopted Natalia Grace, but in real life, they weren’t. They even took Natalia to Disney World when they first adopted her, and they were able to pay for different surgeries Natalia had due to her dwarfism.
4No One Ever Accused Natalia Grace Of Covering Kristine’s Eyes While Driving
The Barnetts Allege A Lot About Natalia Grace, But Never That She Covered Kristine’s Eyes
One of the more heart-pounding moments inGood American Familyepisode 3 came when Natalia Grace covered Kristine’s eyes while they were driving. Natalia was trying to get Kristine to crash the car after she had been confronted about having her period, and Kristine nearly hit her son. However, in real life,neither Michael nor Kristine accused Natalia Grace of covering the driver’s eyes and trying to cause a crash. They have accused her of some heinous behavior while driving, such as opening the door while the car was in motion (viaTime) and covering the boys in her own fecal matter.
3Kristine Didn’t Try More Strict Parenting When Natalia Grace Allegedly Tried To Poison Her
Natalia Grace Allegedly Offered To Help With The Dishes Before Pouring Detergent In Kristine’s Coffee
After a series of developments, Kristine’s relationship with Natalia deteriorated inGood American Familyepisode 3, and she began trying to use “tough love” parenting tactics. One of those tactics was to force Natalia Grace to complete chores in exchange for priveleges, which led to Natalia attempting to poison Kristine.The Barnetts do allege that Natalia tried to poison Kristine, but it wasn’t due to stricter parenting measures(viaThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace). Michael Barnett claims that Natalia simply offered to help with the dishes and poured detergent into Kristine’s coffee.
What Happened To Natalia Grace Barnett In Real Life After Good American Family: Where She Is Today
Good American Family dramatizes the harrowing true story of orphan Natalia Grace Barnett. But the show doesn’t tell us what happened to her next.
2Kristine Barnett Likely Didn’t Speak To Natalia’s Previous Family, The Ciccones
The Ciccones Lived In New Hampshire, Not New Jersey, & Kristine Likely Never Spoke To Them In 2010
Towards the end ofGood American Familyepisode 3, Kristine Barnett had a chance to talk to Natalia Grace’s previous adoptive family, the Ciccones. Kristine was in New York to film an interview for the Glenn Beck show, and she took a ride to New Jersey to speak with Dyan Ciccone. In real life,the Ciccones lived in New Hampshire at the time, and Kristine has never publicly stated that she spoke with them in 2010(viaPeople). The nature of the closed adoption also makes it unlikely that Kristine knew who Natalia Grace’s family was until years later.
1Michael Barnett Alleges That He Knew Natalia Grace Was Dangerous, But Good American Family Has Him Disagreeing With Kristine
Kristine & Michael Were On The Same Page About Natalia Grace
The biggest reveal inGood American Familyepisode 3 came at the very end of the episode. As they were preparing to go on live television, Michael subtly threatened Kristine and took Natalia Grace’s side, especially after Kristine threatened to bring her to a mental hospital.InThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace, Michael claimed he supported Kristine from the very beginning, even noting that he “knew” he and his family were in danger from Natalia. It’s just one of many detailsGood American Familychose to change to enhance its drama.
