The world is still talking about Natalia Grace, the Ukrainian orphan with a rare dwarfism condition. Grace’s legal battle with her former adoptive parents Kristine and Michael Barnett garnered attention in a riveting docuseries. Now, a new Lifetime movie called “The Bad Orphan” tells a story that, while fictional, bears some resemblance to the case of Natalia Grace. In “The Bad Orphan,” premiering June 22, Betsy Brandt and Mark Taylor star as adoptive parents to an 8-year-old girl named Gabby .
.com reached out to attorneys for Natalia Grace, Michael and Kristine Barnett, and also attempted to contact Antwon and Cynthia Mans. None of them replied to a request for comment. Michael and Kristine, who are now divorced, were charged with felony neglect of a dependent. In 2022, Michael was acquitted and in 2023, Kristen’s charges were dismissed.