Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian woman with dwarfism who faced allegations of deceiving her adoptive parents about her age and causing them distress, has taken legal action against Disney.
Grace’s story was dramatized in the 2025 Hulu series “Good American Family,” where actress Imogen Faith Reid portrayed her, while Ellen Pompeo played her adoptive mother, Kristine Barnett.
According to TMZ, Grace, who is believed to be around 24 years old, is suing Disney and Hulu, accusing them of defamation and causing her emotional distress intentionally.
The lawsuit claims that the series depicted her in a negative light, suggesting she was “deceptive, dangerous, manipulative, dishonest, not truly a child, and responsible for acts of abuse, violence, or attempted violence.”
Though the show included a disclaimer that some elements were fictionalized, Grace argues this was insufficient to shield the company from liability, as viewers could not differentiate between fact and fiction, according to documents reviewed by TMZ.
In response to these allegations, representatives for Disney and Hulu have been contacted by The Daily Mail for their comments.
Natalia Grace, the Ukrainian woman with dwarfism accused of lying about her age and ‘tormenting’ her adoptive parents, is suing Disney
Grace was portrayed by Imogen Faith Reid in 2025’s Hulu series Good American Family, starring Ellen Pompeo as her mother Kristine Barnett
TMZ reported that Grace filed the lawsuit without a lawyer and is seeking unspecified damages.
Grace also stated in her filing, per the news outlet, that Disney purposely or haphazardly framed the series to highlight the accusations against her.
She claims it was only later that the company revealed details about her being abused as a child.
The first four episodes of the miniseries follow Kristine, who believes a 22-year-old infiltrated her family while claiming she was only six.
The second half envisions the events from Grace’s perspective – a victim of cruelty who is mistreated and abandoned.
When Kristine and husband Michael Barnett decided to adopt a six-year-old girl in 2010 in the hope of expanding their family, they felt nothing but ‘overwhelming love’ for their new daughter.
Grace had already been adopted once before, just two years prior, but the parents rescinded their rights, citing her disruptive behavior.
Kristine and Michael decided to raise her alongside their three biological sons in New Hampshire.
The following years saw a shocking breakdown in the relationship, with Kristine and Michael accusing the adoptee of pretending to be a child and lying about her real age, even claiming she tried to kill them. After seeking advice from a family physician, they fought to have her birth date changed from 2003 to 1989, claiming she was an adult when they adopted her.
Grace has denied all accusations against her, and the couple was charged with neglect after moving to Canada and allegedly leaving her at an apartment in Lafayette. They were eventually acquitted of the charges.
Join the debate
How should stories based on real people handle the balance between truth and creative license?
The limited series starred Ellen Pompeo as Grace’s adoptive mom Kristine Barnett
Grace, estimated to be 24 years old, is going after Disney and Hulu for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress
L-R Jerod Haynes, Imogen Reid, and Christina Hendricks in a scene from Good American Family
For years, Grace was defended by Bishop Antwon and Cynthia Mans, who eventually became her third set of adoptive parents in June 2023.
In January 2024 she insisted she was doing ‘okay’ after her latest adoptive family said they were ‘done’ with her in the finale of her documentary The Confessions Of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks.
She wrote on a GoFundMe page at the time that she had moved out and was trying to raise money for spinal surgery.
‘I recently moved out and I’m saving money to get my own house so I can have a personal place of my own,’ she shared. ‘I am wanting to start my own photography business to create a fun and awesome way to have fun and do what I love which is taking pictures and creating memories for myself and other people!’
She also explained that the spinal surgery she wants to have done isn’t covered by her medical insurance and costs ‘in excess of $500,000.’
‘I have a type of dwarfism called Diastrophic Dysplasia — a form of dwarfism that has many serious issues which often require surgery,’ she wrote. ‘The first treatment I need is to have my spine corrected as if I leave it too long it could lead to paralysis and incontinence.’
