After being told she had sleep apnea, leukemia, muscular dystrophy and needed a wheelchair and feeding tube, she discovered her life had been built off lies.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard was born to Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard in 1991. For the next 24 years, Gypsy Rose’s mother placed her on unnecessary medications, had her salivary glands removed, and told her she had seizures, asthma, hearing and visual impairments and more. Her teeth rotted, she used a breathing machine to sleep, a wheelchair to move and a feeding tube to eat. None of this seemed to be true or necessary.
“I know [Gypsy Rose’s] mother … mentally abused her because she was raised to believe she was a sick kid, but really her mother was kind of deceiving the public and just trying to get … everybody’s pity for [Gypsy Rose],” Aylla Wexler (10) said. “[She] didn’t know that she could live a normal life.”
Dee Dee Blanchard suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, which is when a caregiver makes up or causes symptoms in their victim. Whenever someone questioned Gypsy Rose’s condition, whether it be a doctor or a family member, Dee Dee would cut off contact. When her family questioned Gypsy Rose’s need for a wheelchair, Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose moved away. Dee Dee even altered Gypsy Rose’s birth certificate to make her seem younger.
“Whenever someone wants to be needed by someone else … they make it seem [as if] they need their help,” Nacoria Love (10) said. “In Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s case, her mom made it seem like she was sick so Gypsy Rose Blanchard would rely on her.”
As Gypsy Rose grew older, it became increasingly difficult for Dee Dee to control her. Gypsy Rose joined a Christian dating site where she met a man named Nicholas Godejohn. She told him about what Dee Dee was doing to her and asked him to kill her. He agreed and drove to her house, stabbing her mother to death while Gypsy Rose hid in the bathroom. Godejohn was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder, while Gypsy Rose Blanchard received ten years for second-degree murder.
“I think she did deserve to go to jail because she did plan out the murder,” Love said. “Even though she didn’t actually commit it, she planned it out and … had [Nicholas Godejohn] kill her mom. There [were] also other ways she could have gone about her mom’s condition without killing her.”
On Jan. 5-6, 2024, the series The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released on Lifetime. It features exclusive interviews with Gypsy Rose, as well as interviews with her family members. The Act, an eight-part series featuring Joey King, was released on Mar. 20, 2018, on Hulu. The Act chronicles the early life of Gypsy Rose as a biographical drama. Gypsy Rose also co-wrote an ebook titled Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom.
“[The Act is] basically just … Gypsy’s life … told in another perspective,” Wexler said. “It kinda just shows her life leading up to her mother’s murder and how it got up to that point.”
While in prison, Gyspy got married to Ryan Scott Anderson. When Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from prison on Dec. 28th, 2023, Anderson was there to greet her.
“I thought originally that whenever she got out [of prison] and saw all of this, like how famous she had gotten, that she would be overwhelmed,” Love said. “But it’s … almost the opposite of that,
unless she just has a really good way of hiding it behind the screen.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard has accumulated millions of followers on her social media accounts. She has created an Instagram, TikTok, X and Snapchat account, as do most celebrities. However, she has received both positive and negative attention. There are many fake accounts, fan accounts and even hate accounts in her name.
“I think a lot of people are trying to get her into trouble for no reason, like [in] internet scandals,” Wexler said. “I feel like she shouldn’t have to feel forced to be on the internet so much. I feel like if she wants to be in the public presence, she can, but at the same time, she deserves privacy.”
Gypsy Rose has done many interviews since her release. Some people have suggested she may have received media training, especially considering she is out on parole. However, others disagree due to inappropriate remarks she has made regarding her relationship with her husband.
“She’s still being watched … so if she says something wrong, she could be put back in jail,” Love said.
Gypsy Rose has advocated for multiple causes during her newfound freedom, one being Munchausen by proxy awareness. She also recently posted that she donated some of her hair to “The Great Cut 2024.” Despite being out of prison for under two months, she has received massive attention. Only time will tell how this will affect her and those around her.
“I think her case is obviously really important … and her being a survivor … can bring light to many other situations like hers, and I think it just benefits a lot more people than others may think,” Wexler said.