Gypsy Rose Blanchard is an American criminal who was found guilty of planning the murder of her own mother, Dee Dee Blanchard.
The Act, an Emmy-nominated limited series on Hulu, is possibly one of the most intricate and eerie tales in the genre that viewers have seen recently. The show tells the tale of Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose following their 2007 relocation from Louisiana to Missouri. After a while, the two became mysterious; the mother was doing her hardest to make ends meet, but her daughter had a persistent illness. Throughout the course of the following seven years, their story came to light, and what had started out as a simple human interest tale evolved into a thorough murder investigation. Let’s get to know more about her.
Who Is Gypsy Rose Blanchard?
Gypsy Rose Blanchard was born in Louisiana, USA on July 27, 1991 to Rod Blanchard, and Dee Dee Blanchard. They got divorced prior to her birth. Even after the divorce, the father made an effort to maintain contact with his daughter, but the mother always managed to limit their time together. Additionally, he gave her $1200 per month in child support. She has a maternal grandfather, step-grandmother, and a stepmother, Kristy.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s mother mistreated her for years, causing her to suffer from cancer, muscular dystrophy, brain damage, learning impairments, eyesight impairment, and other ailments. Although she was in wonderful health, she spent most of her life confined to a wheelchair. Her mother, however, portrayed her as a sick and physically disabled child who required round-the-clock care.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Relationship With Mother
The peculiar tale of Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s early years began when her mother persuaded herself that her daughter had serious, possibly fatal health problems. Her mother obtained public assistance cash by posing as a medical professional. The mother-daughter team received a lot of media attention in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina destroyed their home.
When Gypsy received the “Oley Foundation’s 2007 Child of the Year” award, they shot to fame in the media. 2008 saw the construction of a unique home with a ramp for them by “Habitat For Humanity.” They also received kind donations, such as complimentary flights for medical appointments, free Disney World excursions, free stays at Louisiana’s Ronald McDonald Houses, backstage passes to concerts, etc.
When she was a little child, her mother forced her to wear big glasses, shaved her head, and kept her confined to a wheelchair. Her petite body, nearly toothless smile, wigs, and feeding tube gave the impression that she was a sweet youngster experiencing severe side effects from chemotherapy. Her mother had deceived everyone about her true age and had forced her to undergo a number of needless procedures.
As Gypsy Rose Blanchard grew older and realised her mother’s wrongdoings, she made several attempts to flee, but her mother would frequently beat her or shackle her to the bed. Gypsy met Nicholas Godejohn, her future boyfriend, on the internet, where she sought solace. They started planning her mother’s death when she told Nick about her. In June 2015, Nick stabbed the mother to death. They promptly fled to Nick’s house in Wisconsin.
Following an extended search, the pair was located in Wisconsin, and the public was taken aback to discover that Gypsy was fully normal and capable of walking without assistance. After being detained, both were placed in jail. She revealed to the police her true age, the duration of the abuse, and her happiness at being freed from her terrible circumstances during questioning. She admitted to planning the murder and was given a 10-year prison sentence in July 2015 on second-degree murder convictions.
After HBO produced a documentary on her titled “Mommy Dead and Dearest” in May 2017, her popularity increased. A Lifetime channel TV film, an ID channel special, interviews on the talk programme “Dr. Phil,” and a March 2019 Hulu miniseries titled “The Act” were among the further media attention that followed.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Sentence
It was eventually found that the mother had a mental illness known as “Munchausen syndrome by proxy,” which led her to believe that her daughter had numerous serious health problems. She put her kid through numerous unnecessary procedures, such as having her saliva glands removed and tubes put in her ears to prevent ear infections, among other things. She also purposefully forced her to use a wheelchair, yanked her out of school, shaved her head to make her appear like a chemotherapy patient, and other actions. She would promptly move or present false documentation to anyone who doubted her daughter’s health or age.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard will be eligible for release in 2023 after serving a 10-year term for the murder of her mother. She is currently completing her prison term at Chillicothe Correctional Centre in Missouri. In addition to attending several classes, she works and receives mental health care. With the goal of reducing her sentence, her father has pledged to help her after she is released from prison.
