Who is Gypsy Rose Blanchard?

The person who spent eight years in prison as a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy was just released from prison.

In the first week of the year, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a 32-year-old Missourian, became resident unexpected social media sensation. After suffering years of torture as a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, she persuaded her ex partner to kill her mother in 2015.

Blanchard, who served an eight-year sentence and was recently released from jail, wrote a book on her experience. Furthermore, a recent documentary series called “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard,” which aired on Lifetime in the United States, details her incredible experience. There have been other televised depictions of Blanchard’s life before, including the 2017 HBO documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and the 2019 Hulu drama “The Act,” which starred Patricia Arquette and Joey King.

But Who is Gypsy Rose Blanchard really, what happened in her life, and why was she freed? Here’s a detailed synopsis of this compelling and depressing story.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s early life

Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was born in Louisiana in 1991, was raised entirely by her mother, who goes by Dee Dee among her family and friends. When her baby was three months old, Dee Dee told the doctors that she seemed to be having trouble breathing. This led to the diagnosis of sleep apnea and the installation of a breathing apparatus. Still, Dee Dee was certain there was another fundamental problem.

When Gypsy Rose was seven years old, Dee Dee gathered her family and revealed that she was suffering from a chromosomal disease that would limit her movement and need her to be in a wheelchair all the time. Then came a slew of health problems: Gypsy Rose developed leukemia, needed a feeding tube, was diagnosed with epilepsy, and was prescribed medication that was causing her teeth to fall out. Dee Dee would often find herself at odds with her family over how her kid was treated. Then one evening they left their family home abruptly, not even leaving a forwarding address.

What is Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy?

Today, it is widely accepted that Blanchard was a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, a mental illness and a kind of child abuse in which a parent creates real symptoms or induces fake ones in order to mislead others into believing their child is ill.

Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose relocated from Louisiana to Missouri, where Dee Dee gained a reputation as an exemplary caregiver, tending to and educating her allegedly “developmentally challenged” daughter. They made appearances on local television news programs, and Dee Dee capitalized on the generosity of strangers and charitable organizations. They received numerous trips to Walt Disney World and tickets to a Miranda Lambert concert (Lambert later sent Dee Dee several checks totaling $6,000 to aid her daughter).

Hospital visits have increased significantly. Gypsy Rose, according to Dee Dee, suffered from hearing and vision impairments, asthma, and convulsions. As a result, she underwent numerous surgeries, including removal of her salivary glands and eyes. She also had her teeth pulled. But the truth was very different: the little girl was not afflicted with cancer, she could walk, and she did not need a feeding tube. Her mom’s decision to shave off her hair was the only reason for her bare head.

Medical tests have produced conflicting or ambiguous results regarding Gypsy Rose’s diagnoses. Still, Dee Dee would no longer see any physicians who cast doubt on her daughter’s ailments. With some nursing experience under her belt, Dee Dee was able to distinguish between symptoms and sometimes gave Gypsy Rose medicine to mimic particular illnesses.

How did Gypsy Rose meet Nicholas Godejohn?

In 2013, Gypsy Rose created a profile on Christiandatingforfree.com and instantly got in touch with Nicholas Godejohn, with whom she fell deeply in love after just a few messages.

As their correspondence grew more intense, Godejohn and Blanchard decided to keep their connection secret from Dee Dee by setting up a private Facebook profile where they could write one another. Godejohn was pushing for a face-to-face meeting, but Blanchard was nervous about what would happen if he saw her in a wheelchair? She eventually admitted the truth, saying that her mother had forced her to use a wheelchair even though she didn’t really need one.

Godejohn and Blanchard first met in person in early 2015 at a local Missouri theater that was showing Cinderella. Gypsy Rose went to the movie with her mother, but she staged the interaction so it looked like it was her first time seeing Godejohn. Then they sneaked off to the bathroom to finish their romance in secret. Dee Dee was furious when her daughter came back and insisted that she never visit Godejohn again.

When did the pair kill Dee Dee?

After Dee Dee’s control over her daughter increased after the Cinderella screening, Gypsy Rose and Nick came up with what they called ‘Plan B,’ which was to have Dee Dee removed on June 12, 2015.

Godejohn, according to Blanchard, arrived at their house late that evening, and she gave him a big serrated knife and some blue gloves. She claims that after receiving his text telling her to “get your ass to the bathroom,” she did as instructed, crouching on the ground and listening to Dee Dee suffer a horrific stabbing in the room next door.

Godejohn moved with Blanchard to his Wisconsin home, where they were found by the police. Gypsy Rose had used her mother’s Facebook account twice, writing on one occasion, “That b*tch is dead!” Later on, she explained that she had posted in hopes that her mother’s body would be discovered.

Dee Dee capitalized on the generosity of strangers and charitable organizations, as depicted in The Act.

What jail time did the pair receive?

In 2016, Blanchard entered into a plea agreement and was given a 10-year term for second-degree murder. Her background of physical and medical abuse was highlighted by prosecutor Dan Patterson as a key mitigating element, which resulted in an exceptionally light sentence.

When she first arrived at the Greene County Jail, she was examined in the infirmary to determine whether her epilepsy and other illnesses required any treatment. Nonetheless, the physician concluded that her health was good. In the meantime, Godejohn was given a life sentence after being found guilty of first-degree murder in 2018.

What’s the most recent development in the story?

Blanchard completed 85 percent of her sentence and was freed from jail on December 28, 2023. Ever since, she has gained a lot of popularity on TikTok and Instagram, amassing 6.6 million and 6.5 million followers, respectively.

While these social media profiles were created in the months preceding her release to advertise the documentary The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, it was Blanchard’s “first selfie of freedom” that captured the public’s attention. With her long hair slung over her shoulder, the now 32-year-old is pictured posing in front of a mirror. The photo went viral, receiving hundreds of comments.

Blanchard also shared a photo of herself and her recently married husband, Ryan Scott Anderson, which she took while confined, along with the phrase, “A New Years Eve Eve kiss with my hubby.” After first exchanging messages in 2020, Anderson and Blanchard were married in 2022.