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Wednesday’s “The Jennifer Hudson Show” features a double dose of inspiration, starting with a visit from Ellen Pompeo. Pompeo, best known for her long run on “Grey’s Anatomy,” will be discussing her new Hulu series, “Good American Family.” Plus, Jennifer welcomes Dr. Richard Bridgewater, an Ob-gyn from Miramar, Florida. Dr. Bridgewater has become a viral […]

The Jennifer Hudson Show: Ellen Pompeo, Dr. Richard Bridgewater...

New and eligible returning customers can pick up ad-supported subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu for $3 per month for four months!

Chock full of new content over the past few weeks — and with plenty more on the way — Disney+ and Hulu are two of the best streamers to have right now. “Daredevil: Born Again” is airing new episodes, “Andor” Season 2 is on the way, “Moana 2,” was recently released and “The Handmaid's Tale” will premiere next month.

To help bring more eyes to these titles, Disney is offering new and select returning customers a bundle of ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu for only $3 per month for the next four months! The deal will only last until March 30, so don’t take too long to sign up!

How to get Disney+ and Hulu for $3 per month for 4 months Click here to get the offer from Disney+. Click “Get This Deal.” Sign in with your MyDisney account,...

Lille, France 2025 looks set to go down in history as the year that Series Mania, already the biggest TV festival in Europe, stepped up to another level.

Exhibition booths at the Grand Palais’ newly expanded second floor stretched from one side of its second floor – and the Palais is very grand – to another. Floor traffic was packed, charging up from second to third and fourth floors with more exhibition space with an energy reminiscent of Mipcom back in the day. Multiple keynotes, especially those made available to the public, were sold out. Charlie Brooker’s could have given his “Black Mirror” Masterclass twice over and still have had Sro.

Amanda Seyfried, in town for “Long Bright River,” Pamela Adlon, Series Mania’s jury president, and Christina Hendricks, teasing “Good American Family” and presenting “Small Town, Big Story,” added star dazzle to this year’s edition.

The Series Mania lineup came...

Basada en una historia real (diferente a la de ‘La huérfana’). © Disney+

Disney+ ha publicado el primer tráiler y póster de la miniserie original Una buena familia americana (Good American Family), creada por Katie Robbins (Sunny).

Una buena familia americana, narrada desde varios puntos de vista, sigue a una pareja que adopta a una niña con una forma extraña de enanismo. Sin embargo, cuando empiezan a criarla con sus tres hijos biológicos, surge un misterio sobre su edad y su origen. Poco a poco, empiezan a sospechar que puede no ser quien dice ser. Mientras intentan proteger a su familia de la niña que creen una amenaza, ella libra su propia batalla para enfrentarse a su pasado y definir su futuro, en una historia que acabará en la prensa sensacionalista y en los tribunales.

Seguramente, el argumento de Una buena familia americana te resulte familiar, ya que la película de...

Spoiler Alert! This post contains details from the first three episodes of Hulu’s Good American Family.

By the third episode of Hulu’s Good American Family, audiences may very well be wondering how anyone can dispute that Natalia Grace terrorized her adopted family, the Barnetts, in the three years she lived with them.

But, as co-showrunner Sarah Sutherland warns, no one should jump to conclusions just yet.

“This episode is basically setting bread crumbs that will then get paid off in the end,” she tells Deadline.

By the end of Episode 3, Kristine Barnett (Ellen Pompeo) is good and well convinced that Natalia (Imogen Faith Reid) is out to get her. She thinks that Natalia is not actually a child, based on signs of puberty, and when she finds a used tampon under a piece of furniture while conducting a news interview with her son, Kristine flies off the handle.

In 2016, Ben Young’s disturbing Hounds of Love took the Venice International Film Festival by storm. This disturbing story of torture and extreme codependency won over critics with bold directorial choices and a viciously predatory gaze. Stars Emma Booth and Stephen Curry were both praised for their portrayals of sadistic yet strangely relatable killers while Ashleigh Cummings secured the Fedeora Award for Best Actress. But in addition to praising this harrowing film, Australian audiences noticed a striking similarity to a string of real crimes.

In 1986, David and Catherine Birnie were convicted of kidnapping, torturing, and murdering four young women after survivor Kate Moir managed to escape their house of horrors. Young has distanced himself from the true crime label, despite critics and film academics crying foul. He’s stated that the story was based on a number of notorious killer couples, but does this explanation stand up to scrutiny?

In...

Ellen Pompeo is stepping out in London to promote her new Hulu series!

The 55-year-old actress joined co-stars Mark Duplass and Imogen Faith Reid at a special screening of their new series Good American Family on Wednesday (March 26) held at BAFTA in London, England.

For the screening, Ellen looked cool in a tan furry coat paired with tan pants.

The new show tells the story of Natalia Grace, played by Imogen, a girl with a rare form of dwarfism who was adopted by a Midwestern couple and later accused of being an adult women.

Ellen and Mark play Kristine and Michael Barnett, the adoptive parents.

New episodes of Good American Family are released on Hulu on Wednesdays. Watch the trailer here!

Click through the gallery inside for 10+ pictures of the stars at the screening…...

The Ellen Pompeo-led Hulu limited series “Good American Family” tells the seemingly improbable story of an Indiana family who adopted a six-year-old Ukrainian girl who they believed to be much older. After what her adoptive mother, Kristine Barnett, called “sociopathic” behavior, the Barnetts legally changed their daughter’s birth year from 2003 to 1989 and abandoned her.

This, in fact, is a true story.

“Good American Family” tells the true crime story from opposing perspectives, giving a glimpse into the Barnetts’ viewpoint, Natalia Grace’s and the eyes of the law.

Natalia Grace’s case first made headlines when her adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, were charged with neglect in 2019 after allegedly abandoning their daughter alone in an apartment before moving with their three biological sons to Canada and cutting off contact.

Before the Barnetts left their 8-year-old, just over a year after adopting her in 2010, they petitioned Marion County...

After the revelations from the first two premiere episodes of Good American Family, episode 3 this week, "Ghosts Everywhere," takes things even a step further. The Hulu series has been going through the events pretty quickly, but it's easy to keep up with so far. Here's our review of this week's episode of the drama starring Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass. Spoilers Below.

Good American Family - “Ghosts Everywhere” - Kristine investigates Natalia's age and makes a chilling discovery. As she doubles down on her suspicions, Jacob's star rises and Michael's web of lies spins further. (Disney/Anne Marie Fox) Gail Rastorfer, Imogen Faith Reid The doctor's visits begin

In the final moments of episode 2, Kristine declares that she thinks Natalia is not a little girl after seeing hair down in places it shouldn't be, typically at least, for a 7-year-old. Things pick up where they left off in the...

The name of Ukrainian adoptee Natalia Grace is back in the headlines with the release of Hulu’s series “Good American Family,” which follows the story of the second family to welcome Natalia into their home.

The docuseries was released on Investigation Discovery in 2023 and quickly amassed millions of viewers. The third season was released in January 2025.

What is “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” about?

The docuseries follows the story of Natalia Grace, who was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010. The pair were the second family to adopt Natalia; Dyan and Gary Ciccone first brought her from Ukraine to the United States in 2008 but gave up their parental rights due to Natalia’s behavior.

The Barnetts eventually accused Natalia Grace of lying about her age and of attempting to kill one or both of them several times. The pair had Natalia “re-aged” by a court (Natalia did...

Even Christina Hendricks is watching “The White Lotus.”

“I’ve seen all these videos of Parker Posey on Instagram. Every actor in the world wants to be a part of ‘The White Lotus’: it’s like they’ve all won the lottery. You don’t just get a TV show – you get a whole new life. I’m sure they’re enjoying every minute of it,” she said.

Hendricks, known for “Mad Men” and “Good Girls,” is no stranger to knowing that “the longer you spend with a show, the more time you spend talking about it.”

“It becomes a part of your life,” she tells Variety at France’s Series Mania, looking back on her own career.

“To be quite honest, at this point in my life, I would say just as many people bring up ‘Good Girls’ as they do ‘Mad Men.’ They’ve both had very...

IndieWire and Disney are ready to “Pass the Remote” once again. Our TV FYC screening series is returning to the Vidiots Foundation in Los Angeles’s Eagle Rock neighborhood for more lively conversations with top industry talent.

The first panel on April 1 will be about the art of casting, and feature casting directors Tiffany Little Canfield, Wendy O’Brien (“Abbott Elementary“), Danielle Aufiero (“Good American Family”), Seth Yanklewitz (“Deli Boys”), Julie Ashton (“Mid-Century Modern”), and Josh Einsohn (“Paradise”) with more to be announced.

Apply to attend here.

The second panel will take place on April 15 and feature TV composers Siddhartha Khosla, Adam Taylor (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Linda Perry (“Out of My Mind”), The Newton Brothers (“Daredevil: Born Again”), and Michael Paraskevas (“Agatha All Along”).

We’ll also be hosting a panel on Saturday May 3 about the new documentary “Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius),” and a panel with Quinta Brunson...

[Warning: The following post contains Major spoilers about Good American Family Episode 3, “Ghosts Everywhere.”] Good American Family gets very dark on Wednesday’s (March 26) new episode as the veil of perfection put on by Kristine Barnett (Ellen Pompeo) starts to fall and the show’s conceit of subtly (and then not-so-subtly) presenting dual perspectives of the well-known true-crime tale comes into clearer view. In the episode, Kristine furiously gathers new evidence to support her suspicions that Natalia Grace (Imogen Faith Reid) is a fully grown woman masquerading as a child and is thus a danger to her family. First, she finds socks covered in blood hidden in Natalia’s closet, and later, during a local TV news interview, she spots a bloodied tampon on the living room floor. The family’s primary care doctor, who lives in regret of his initial diagnosis of their oldest child and thus buys Kristine’s every word, suggests a battery of specialists to consult,...

If you like a good mystery thriller with loads of family drama, then Good American Family is the perfect show to scratch that itch for you. In the first two episodes, we’re introduced to the Barnetts, the picture of a perfect family, with their 3 sons. But this family feels a bit lacking; they want a little daughter of their own to turn their hand into a full house. This is when they decide to adopt, but at the last moment, it doesn’t quite work out for them. However, the Barnetts do end up finding a 6th member soon enough when an adoption agency contacts Kristine out of the blue and tells her that they’ve got only 24 hours to make their big decision. Since they have been desperate, they decided to take the leap of faith on a girl who has a rare form of dwarfism. But is...

Things certainly escalate quickly in Good American Family on Hulu in just the first two episodes that streamed on premiere day! Though it seemed like they could be one big happy family at the beginning, by the end of episode 2 Kristine believes Natalia might not be a little girl after all. So when can we expect a new episode, and what will episode 3 be all about after that cliffhanger?

Good American Family episode 3, "Ghosts Everywhere," premieres Tuesday, March 25, 2025 on Hulu. Though two episodes came out on premiere day, going forward only one new installment will be released each week. As a reminder, the season is a total of 8 episodes. The streamer also drops new releases at 12 a.m. Pt / 3 a.m. Et. Check out the release times below:

West Coast: 12 a.m. Pt East Coast: 3 a.m. Et Midwest: 2 a.m. Ct Mountain: 1 a.m. Mt What comes next in...

We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2025 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 12 to June 23, with the official Emmy nominations announced Tuesday, July 15. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 18 and ends the night of August 27. The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 14, and air live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. Et/ 5:00 p.m. Pt.

The State of the Race

Unfortunately, unlike the Comedy and Drama categories, which have expanded in recent years, the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series category at the Emmys still only allows for five nominees. Shows that premiere earlier in the season tend to be favored, making the spring schedule, when the majority of these shows are released, a very tight competition for voters’ attention.

Christina Hendricks stepped into Mad Men and flipped Hollywood’s outdated playbook on its head. Before Joan Holloway strutted onto screens, industry execs weren’t exactly lining up to cast curvy, confident women in powerhouse roles. They assumed she’d play the sidekick, the pretty face, but never the one calling the shots.

Christina Hendricks in Mad Men | Credits: Weiner Bros. Productions

But Hendricks proved them wrong, turning Joan into a force of nature.

How Mad Men gave Christina Hendricks the strength Hollywood never saw in her Christina Hendricks in Mad Men | Credits: Weiner Bros. Productions

Christina Hendricks knew what Hollywood saw in her – sweet, soft, and stuck in a box. Then came Mad Men. Joan Holloway changed everything. You see, Joan wasn’t just confident; she was a powerhouse. And that character, along with the fan response, gave Hendricks something she hadn’t expected: real confidence. She admitted (via...

After a handful of weeks without only a few new shows released each week, we're in for one of the most jam-packed weeks of the year so far. Heading into the spring season, there are so many exciting and high-profile series debuts and multiple comebacks that fans have been waiting years for. You'll be laughing, crying, and on the edge of your seat all throughout the last week of March.

For the first time since late January, there is no new episode of Severance season 2, as the hit Apple TV+ thriller dropped its game-changing finale last week. But we do have a just-announced third season to look forward to in the future. This week also promises new episodes of The White Lotus season 3 (after That moment), Surface, and Hulu's new hit Good American Family.

As for the premieres hitting our watch list this week, the third Harlan Coben Netflix...

You can get four months of Disney+ and Hulu for a total of only $12 if you sign up before March 31!

If you’ve never tried Disney+ and Hulu before, this is one of the best deals you’ll ever see to save on the two services. All month long, Disney has offered a bundle of the two streamers’ ad-supported plans for only $3 combined for four months. You can still get this deal if you’re a new customer to Disney+ and Hulu, but only until Monday, March 31, so make sure you sign up before it’s too late!

How to get Disney+ and Hulu for $3 per month for 4 months Click here to get the offer from Disney+ and Hulu. Click “Get This Deal.” Sign in with your MyDisney account, or create one with an email and password. Enter payment details and finish signing up. Get the deal $3 per month/4 mos.

From being broke soon after her professional acting debut in the entertainment industry to becoming one of the highest-paid television actresses of all time, Ellen Pompeo did wonders with her iconic role in Grey’s Anatomy. For over 21 seasons spread over the course of around two decades, she really outperformed herself as Meredith Grey, leaving viewers amused each time.

Ellen Pompeo. | Credits: Grey’s Anatomy / ABC.

But throughout the time that she embodied the respective fan-favorite character, there have been instances where Pompeo didn’t necessarily agree with her onscreen counterpart. In fact, so was the case when it came to the most iconic line of the entire series as well, considering how she confessed to saying it simply because “you have to just suck it up and do it.”

Ellen Pompeo hated her most iconic line in Grey’s Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy has seen a lot of drama prevailing in it, being...

In 2010 Indiana couple Kristine and Michael Barnett adopted Natalia, a Ukrainian child born with dwarfism. The Barnetts believed Natalia was six-years-old at the time of her adoption, but later asserted she was lying about her age and abandoned her. The story of Natalia’s adoption has since been examined in an Investigation Discovery docuseries and now the Hulu drama “Good American Family” starring Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass.

What the Barnetts have said about Natalia Grace

In addition to accusing Natalia of lying about her age, the Barnetts have also claimed she has tried to kill them through various means, including by poisoning coffee and by knife. The pair had Natalia “re-aged” by a court (Natalia did not have her own legal representation during this process) from 8 to 22 and subsequently left her in an apartment and ceased communication with her completely.

The Barnetts also appeared to not take Natalia’s disabilities into consideration.

There are some actors who have become household names for the roles they have played, and Ellen Pompeo falls squarely in that category. One of the television industry’s greatest actors, her long-standing stint as Dr. Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy has helped her achieve widespread fame and acclaim. While the role made her one of the most widely recognized actresses, it also solidified her as one of the highest-paid stars on television.

Throughout her career, apart from her role in Grey’s Anatomy, the actress has garnered numerous awards, nominations, and more. Yet much about her life and career still remains shrouded in mystery. She might be well-known across the globe, but a lot of her fans still do not know much about her.

Ellen Pompeo in Grey’s Anatomy | Credit: ABC

Now star of the recently released and ongoing Hulu drama series, Good American Family, the actress’ career has received a renewed interest,...

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Amazon is still offering a stellar deal: New users can get Audible for just 99¢/month for three months. Here’s how to claim the Audible offer, to unlock all the audiobooks we love from The Summer I Turned Pretty, Interior Chinatown, Lessons in Chemistry, Big Little Lies and Bosch to the Audible original Slayers: A Buffyverse Story.

More from TVLineGet the Amazon Fire TV Stick for Just $20 - Stream Netflix,...

Ellen Pompeo is unarguably one of the most-known names in Hollywood, and a majority of that credit goes to her masterpiece series Grey’s Anatomy—the very series which recently finished the run of its twenty-first season and which has helped her rank among the highest-paid actors since 2017. But coming this far required a Jake Gyllenhaal film to inspire her first.

Ellen Pompeo. | Credits: Good American Family (2025) / Hulu.

While the series in question, which has been raging on the screens since 2005 and is yet to be officially renewed for its season 22, has had Pompeo reaching unparalleled heights of success, she was initially hesitant to hop on board. In fact, it was her $10 million flop flick with Gyllenhaal, Moonlight Mile, that left her young and broke and inspired her to take on her drama TV series.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Moonlight Mile had Ellen Pompeo young and broke in Hollywood

Over the years,...

Last Updated on March 24, 2025

Plot: Told from multiple points of view, as a means to explore issues of perspective, bias, and trauma, this compelling drama is inspired by the disturbing stories surrounding a Midwestern couple who adopts a girl with a rare form of dwarfism. But as they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, mystery emerges around her age and background, and they slowly start to suspect she may not be who she says she is. As they defend their family from the daughter they’ve grown to believe is a threat, 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.

Review: The idea that there are two sides to every story has never been truer than in the bizarre saga of Natalia Grace. Adopted at the age of seven,...

Australian horror month began with Greg McLean’s Wolf Creek (listen), then tackled Andrew Traucki and David Nerlich’s 2007 creature feature Black Water (listen). For week three, Jenn and I are back in human villain territory with the “bodies in the barrels” murders depicted in Snowtown (2011) or The Snowtown Murders (2012).

In the mid to late ’90s, serial killer John Bunting groomed teenager Jamie Vlassakis to commit multiple murders under the guise of protecting their Adelaide suburb from pedophiles and queer men. Director Justin Kurzel and screenwriter Shaun Grant adapt the horrifying true story, which explores how Bunting was able to bend a whole community of malleable minds to his will, how he inserted himself into Jamie’s life, and how this garden variety murderer targeted vulnerable communities, including victims who were developmentally disabled and addicts.

It’s an exceptionally rough film because it’s not flashy. The performances are also extremely grounded and frightening,...

Like Hulu’s “Good American Family,” which also premieres this week, “Happy Face” is based on an unbelievable true story.

The new drama explores the collateral damage of human evil, and thanks to the involvement of “The Good Wife” and “Evil” creators Robert and Michelle King, it has all the potential to become your next true-crime TV binge. That is assuming, of course, you do not mind the narrative and thematic darkness, as well as the off-putting lead performance from Dennis Quaid, that “Happy Face” has to offer.

Here is how, when and where you can watch new episodes of the series.

When does “Happy Face” premiere?

The true-crime drama premieres Thursday, March 20.

How can I watch “Happy Face”?

“Happy Face” is available to stream only on Paramount+.

When are new “Happy Face” episodes released?

New episodes of “Happy Face” debut weekly on Thursdays.

When do new episodes come out?...

Deadline has grown the number of shows and revealed the list of panelists for Contenders Television, its annual two-day panel showcase that kicks off the TV awards season. This year’s edition is set to take place April 5-6 at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles.

A total of 20 shows have now signed on for the extravaganza, which shines a spotlight on the stars and creatives behind the season’s most talked-about TV dramas, comedies and limited series. The latest series to join this week are The Last of Us from HBO and Max, and Prime Video’s Étoile and Overcompensating.

The event is live at the DGA both days, and will be livestreamed. Click here for more information and to register.

This year’s Contenders lineup already includes previous Emmy Best Series winner The Handmaid’s Tale from Hulu and Best Series nominees like Severance from Apple TV+ and Wolf...

What Was Ellen Pompeo’s Most Awkward Grey’s Anatomy Scene?(Photo Credit –YouTube)

Ellen Pompeo’s time on Grey’s Anatomy was filled with intense drama, both on and off-screen. While she’s no stranger to emotional moments on set, one particular scene in Season 2 proved to be more than just acting. It was uncomfortable and awkward and led to something really unexpected, leading her to cry real tears.

Filming Turned Into A Real-Life Nightmare

During an episode of Call Her Daddy, Pompeo revisited the uncomfortable experience of filming a love scene with co-star T.R. Knight, who played George O’Malley. Their characters’ ill-fated hookup was meant to be a messy rebound for Meredith Grey, but it was an emotional disaster behind the scenes.

On filming the scene, Ellen Pompeo admitted: “Can I tell you an inside story about that? T.R. and I are such good friends and we had to do a love scene,...

Rumer Willis is providing a health update on dad Bruce Willis as he turns 70 – CNN Trump might be getting rid of Jackie Kennedy‘s iconic Rose Garden at the White House – Celebitchy A register dietitian reveals if Liquid Death is good for you – Popsugar Ellen Pompeo reveals her initial hesitations surrounding her new Hulu series Good American Family – The Hollywood Reporter...

Remember “Orphan?” That rather upsetting horror tale of a deranged woman in her early 30s afflicted with dwarfism who, after posing as a nine-year-old girl, proceeds to inflict a battery of terror upon her adopted parents? Surprisingly, the events of “Orphan” seem to have inspired a real-life scenario similar in more ways than one to the 2009 film. It’s in “Good American Family,” Hulu’s eight-episode dive into a strikingly similar story, the events that unfolded, and the two perspectives that shape a narrative twist, thrusting the collective mentality of viewers from one perspective to another, that something genuinely fascinating emerges, draped with a crescendo of tension and the best kind of emotional joyride, all coming together for one of the more compelling entries in the genre of truth-inspired, televised storytelling.

Continue reading ‘Good American Family’ Review: Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction In Hulu’s Riveting Series Of Adoption Gone Terribly Wrong at The Playlist.

Good American Family is a gripping drama series that delves into the controversial true story of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian girl adopted by an American couple, Kristine and Michael Barnett. The series explores the complexities and challenges that arise as the Barnetts question Natalia’s age and identity, leading to a media frenzy and legal battles. This article provides an overview of the Good American Family’s plot, introduces the main cast and characters, details the complete release schedule, and informs you where to watch this compelling narrative.

Plot Overview of Good American Family

The series follows Kristine and Michael Barnett, a Midwestern couple who adopt Natalia Grace, a 7-year-old Ukrainian girl with dwarfism. As they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, the Barnetts start to question Natalia’s age and identity, suspecting that she might be an adult posing as a child. This suspicion leads to...

Disney has been producing animated films for decades, which have become more successful over the years. From Beauty and the Beast to The Lion King, the brand put out some critically acclaimed and still-loved works throughout the 20th century. The company later bought Pixar and produced some of the modern era's most acclaimed and successful animated films, including last year's Inside Out 2, which was the highest-grossing animated movie of all time for a brief period, before being dethroned by 2025's Ne Zha 2.

In recent years, however, Disney has been reviving their past animated successes to prop up live-action remakes. This kicked off with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which became an increasing trend throughout the 2010s and 2020s. Most recently, Disney is releasing a live-action Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. The first Snow White reviews are in, but they are skewing mixed to negative,...

Now in its 21st season, Grey's Anatomy is the longest-running medical drama on television. With the series approaching its 20th anniversary, series lead Ellen Pompeo recently opened up about one of her most uncomfortable experiences on the show.

Appearing on the Call Her Daddy Podcast, Pompeo got candid about her least favorite Grey's Anatomy scene, which happened to be Meredith and George's Season 2 one-night stand. "The scene was so uncomfortable and awkward," the actor recalled. "He didn't want to do that, I didn't want to do it. When we filmed it, it was so bad. And then the network said there was too much thrusting."

"In your worst nightmare, to have to do it one time, we had to re-shoot that s**t,"Pompeo said of the ordeal. "I've never watched that scene. I've never seen it. I don't know how it was shot or covered or how it was edited,...

Spoiler Alert !!!Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers for Good American Family!

The story of Natalia Grace is one that makes your stomach churn and your mind race as if the truth itself is trying to escape from a tangled web of lies. Imagine being a child—adopted, vulnerable, with a rare form of dwarfism—and suddenly finding yourself in a nightmare.

Good American Family, the Hulu series, draws inspiration from this heartbreaking tale, where a young girl’s life is turned upside down by a family that, despite their best intentions, ends up questioning her very identity.

Imogen Reid in Good American Family | Image via Hulu

Katie Robbins’ show follows the Barnett family, who adopted Grace and soon began to suspect she wasn’t the innocent child they thought. The truth behind this real-life story is just as unsettling as any fictional horror thriller. But how much of the...

Good American Family presents a vivid retelling of a troubled adoption saga, its narrative steeped in real-life complexity and the weight of unspoken sorrows. It paints a picture of a family caught in a collision of memories and misinterpretations, where a young woman’s disputed identity and her guardians’ conflicting memories share space like fractured reflections.

Legal notices introduce each episode, serving as somber markers that remind the audience of the caution inherent in recounting events tainted by ambiguity. This structure invites viewers to linger in uncertainty, each scene slowly unraveling secrets without providing an absolute resolution.

Two opposing voices arise in the telling: one voice speaks through the adoptive parents, whose recollections brim with both tenderness and unspoken regret, while the other resonates with the enigmatic cadence of a daughter whose existence challenges the conventional script.

Characters emerge as figures of profound inner conflict—Kristine Barnett embodies a striving yet tormented maternal ideal,...

Ellen Pompeo's first leading role in a television series since Grey's Anatomy debuts with an underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes score. Pompeo made her first on-screen appearance in an episode of NBC's legal drama Law & Order before guest-starring in various television series, including the comedy Strangers with Candy, the medical drama Strong Medicine, and the iconic sitcom Friends. Though her film career has struggled to take off, her overall career took a significant turn in 2002 when she garnered attention for her performance in the romantic drama Moonlight Mile.

In 2005, Pompeo was cast as the titular Dr. Meredith Grey in ABC's medical drama, Grey's Anatomy, following her journey from a surgical intern to a fully certified doctor and eventually the hospital's chief of general surgery. The character became immensely popular, establishing Pompeo as one of television's most acclaimed and highest-paid actresses. By Grey's Anatomy season 19, Pompeo stepped back as a series regular,...

It’s clear we’re supposed to find Hulu’s true-crime miniseries Good American Family unsettling and upsetting. And we do — just not always for the reasons the show intends.

Good American Family, which dropped its first two episodes (of eight) on Wednesday and stars Grey’s Anatomy‘s Ellen Pompeo, dramatizes the real-life ordeal surrounding Natalia Grace, a young girl with dwarfism whose adoption by an American family in 2010 ultimately devolved into tragedy. That’s all I’ll say here about the outcome of the story, for those unfamiliar with the full Natalia Grace case, but her peculiar adoption journey...

Ellen Pompeo said she was “salty” at the beginning of “Grey’s Anatomy” when co-star Patrick Dempsey was paid more than her, even though the show was named after her character, Meredith Grey.

As she told Alex Cooper on the latest Call Her Daddy podcast Wednesday, the actress and producer resented the fact that, as the “namesake of the show,” she “deserved the same [pay] and then that was harder to get.”

However, she admitted that Dempsey, who had a number of films and TV credits under his belt at that point, was better known, while the ABC show was her very first TV pilot.

“He was a bigger star than I was at that point. No one knew who I was. Everybody knew who he was, so he did deserve that money,” she said.

“To be completely fair, the television game was so different then. He had done 13 pilots before me,...

Ellen Pompeo is an absolute TV legend, having played Meredith Grey on Grey’s Anatomy for over 20 years — a role which earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe nomination, and a prestigious place in television history. For the first time in two decades, Pompeo is switching gears by taking on the role of controversial matriarch Kristine Barnett in Good American Family, a fictionalized version of the Natalia Grace story.

Ellen Pompeo is opening up about her current, massive salary for Grey’s Anatomy and how she felt about making less than co-star Patrick Dempsey when the show first started.

The actress chatted about money during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast while promoting her new Hulu series Good American Family. (See photos in the gallery of Ellen at the show’s SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations event on March 17 in New York City)

Ellen said that it was her to accept that she earned less than Patrick when she signed on for the pilot, but that she understood at the time why he was making more money.

Keep reading to find out more…

“To be completely fair, the television game was so different then. He had done 13 pilots before me…” Ellen said on the podcast. “Nothing personal to him, just in general, only a man can have 13 failed TV pilots...

When Natalia Grace was adopted from Ukraine into the Barnett family as a six-year-old child, no one could have foreseen that the situation would devolve into something that spurred court battles, criminal charges, and multiple documentaries and shows. How that happened is up for debate, with competing stories and narratives fighting for the right to be considered the truth.

This is what we do know: Michael and Kristine Barnett, a couple living in Indiana, adopted Natalia in 2010. They were told she was a six-year-old child who had been previously adopted and abandoned,...

After making devoted audiences weep week after week with her career-defining performance as Dr. Meredith Grey in the small-screen sensation Grey's Anatomy, the talented Ellen Pompeo is wading into new TV waters and is starring in the spine-tingling drama miniseries Good American Family. The eight-episode Hulu original tells the real-life story of Natalia Grace, a young Ukrainian orphan with a rare form of dwarfism who was adopted by an Indiana couple but was shockingly abandoned after they accused her of being a full-grown woman and not a seven-year-old child.

The engrossing show will explore the many convoluted sides of the salacious story that first took the world and media by storm in 2019, with the drama largely being based on the 2023 documentary The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. Good American Family will be available to stream on March 19, 2025, and is sure to take audiences on a wild ride full of stunning twists and turns,...

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Ellen Pompeo is scrubbing out of Grey’s Anatomy.

In a way she never has before.

The actress is currently starting in Good American Family, a brand new drama on Hulu whose first two episodes were made available on March 19.

The role marks Pompeo’s first lead since she sky-rocketed to fame back in 2005 as Meredith Grey, the title character of the longest-running medical drama in TV history.

Ellen Pompeo attends the Special Premiere of Hulu’s “Good American Family” at Directors Guild Of America on March 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jc Olivera/Getty Images)

Back in 2022, Pompeo pared down her screen time significantly on Grey’s Anatomy… although she still serves as a producer and still makes the occasional cameo.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do. I just knew that I really couldn’t do Grey’s anymore,” Pompeo explained this...

When it comes to true crime dramas, I typically walk away feeling like I’ve wasted my time because they add too many perspectives and what-ifs to a sensitive situation.

The result is usually an over-stuffed affair that doesn’t do the story justice.

Thankfully, Good American Family zeroes in on parts of the Natalia Grace story that we haven’t heard much about, including Kristine Barnett’s perspective.

(Disney/Ser Baffo)

All we know about Kristine is how the media portrayed her, and, of course, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, which didn’t show her in the best light or even include her side.

Ellen Pompeo did the bulk of the heavy lifting in the first two episodes, showcasing Kristine as this warm mother figure who slowly realizes something is amiss with the young girl she brought into her family on a whim.

(Hulu/Screenshot)

At the beginning of the premiere,...

The first two episodes of Hulu's ripped-from-the-headlines limited series Good American Family debuted on the streamer March 19 — and critics are divided.

The "mad and messy saga" is based on the story of Natalia Grace (played by newcomer Imogen Faith Reid), a Ukrainian-born orphan with a rare form of dwarfism who is adopted by a Midwestern family — only to be abandoned a year later when they start to suspect she may not be who she says she is. Golden Globe nominee Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy) executive produces and stars as Kristine Barnett, Natalia's adoptive mother, and Emmy winner Mark Duplass (The Morning Show) plays Michael Barnett, Kristine's optimistic husband. The project also features Christina Hendricks, Sarayu Blue, and Dulé Hill.

Told from multiple perspectives, Good American Family currently has a 40 percent at Rotten Tomatoes and a "generally favorable" MetaCritic score of 63 (based on eight reviews). Critics are split...

After nearly two decades and more than 400 episodes starring on Grey’s Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo exited the ABC medical drama as a series regular in 2023. She didn’t quite say goodbye, as her beloved onscreen doctor, Meredith Grey, has stayed on as the show’s narrator and in a recurring onscreen role. But the change was a needed one for Pompeo, who has said she was looking to try something new.

That’s when Good American Family came along.

“It had to be a role that I could completely disappear into — and those don’t come along often,” Pompeo tells The Hollywood Reporter of what she was looking for when presented with the Hulu limited series, which is inspired by the true story of Natalia Grace. But was playing Kristine Barnett, the adoptive mother of Grace who was later accused of abusing her, taking that a bit too far?

“This was...

With episode 1 of Good American Family ending on a cliffhanger, I'm so happy that Hulu decided to drop the first two episodes on premiere day because I need to know what happens next! Episode 2, "Jump the Jitters Out," once again starts off in 2019, with a surprising revelation, then goes back and picks up right after that bedroom scene from episode 1. Here's our review of the second episode. Spoilers Below.

(Disney/Ser Baffo)

As mentioned above, it's 2019 at the top of the episode, but we're not with Kristine. At least not yet. A detective goes to visit Michael but there's some major changes in his life. He's now remarried to a woman named Jennifer. What!? And he really does not have nice things to say about Kristine.

Oh my goodness. I mean, we can assume Kristine's doubts about Natalia will probably contribute to the couple's separation. But all this hatred towards her?...

Imogen Faith Reid is the talented newcomer who is portraying the real-life media sensation Natalia Grace in Hulu’s Good American Family and viewers might have some questions about her.

The new show tells the story of Natalia Grace, a girl with a rare form of dwarfism who was adopted by a Midwestern couple and later accused of being an adult women. Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass play Kristine and Michael Barnett, the adoptive parents. Watch the trailer now!

The series follows Natalia from a span of ages from 7 to 19, so audiences might be wondering how old Imogen is in real life to be able to portray a character in that age range.

Keep reading to find out more…

Imogen’s IMDb page notes that she was born in May 1997, which means she is currently 27 years old.

“Though at 27 she naturally looks older than Natalia, she makes up for the...

The premiere of Good American Family on Hulu jumps right into the story the series wants to tell. Starring Grey's Anatomy actress Ellen Pompeo and The Morning Show's Mark Duplass as husband and wife Kristine and Michael Barnett, the drama premiered with the first two episodes. Here's our review of episode 1, "Almost Like a Prayer." Spoilers Below.

(Disney/Ser Baffo)

Right off the bat, we start with some drama. And that's the fact that in 2019, Kristine is under arrest while giving an important speech about a book she's published. It happens right in front of everyone, and she starts yelling that Natalia wanted to kill them. She was not walking away quietly. And, that's how we start the show!

Rewind to 2010 and we get some background information about the Midwestern couple. They have three biological sons and almost adopted a young girl, Blanca. However it fell through when her...