Gypsy Rose Blanchard has spoken out in her first in-depth TV interview since leaving prison.
Now 32 years old, Gypsy Rose became a worldwide name following her involvement in the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, back in 2015.
Gypsy Rose and her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, were arrested for the murder of her mother. Godejohn received a life sentence for first-degree murder, while Gypsy was sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
The disturbing story exposed a history of forced pretenses, with Dee Dee falsely claiming that Gypsy suffered from leukemia, muscular dystrophy, and other severe illnesses. Contrary to these assertions, Gypsy was found to be in good health and not developmentally delayed. Dee Dee, diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, fabricated illnesses to gain attention.
recently spoke out about her experiences since her release from prison last month. In an interview with Good Morning America, Blanchard shared her thoughts on freedom, her past, and her hopes for the future.
Recalling the moment she stepped out of prison on December 28, 2023, Gypsy Blanchard expressed her astonishment, saying: "I felt like I was in a black-and-white world and I just stepped into technicolor. It was amazing." Blanchard had spent nearly nine years behind bars for her role in orchestrating her mother's murder.
Dee Dee Blanchard had subjected Gypsy to a life of deception, convincing her that she suffered from various illnesses since childhood, leading to a wheelchair-bound existence, feeding tubes, and unnecessary surgeries. Gypsy's involvement in her mother's murder came as a desperate attempt to escape her mother's psychological abuse, as she was a victim of her mother's "Munchausen syndrome by proxy."
Despite the pain she endured, Gypsy Blanchard does not view her mother as a "monster." She believes Dee Dee Blanchard had her own struggles and explained: "I didn't want her dead. I just wanted out of my situation. And I thought that was the only way out."
Gypsy Blanchard, who is now 32, reflected on her transition from living with her mother to being behind bars, saying: "Honestly [it] wasn't that much of a difference."
"But I also had more freedom in prison than I ever had with my mother," she also noted.
During her time in prison, Gypsy Blanchard's story garnered public sympathy and interest, leading to documentaries and a drama series called The Act. Now, she is ready to share more about her life through a Lifetime docuseries titled The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
Her motivation for sharing her story is to raise awareness about mental health issues, Munchausen by proxy, and abuse victims. She hopes her experiences can serve as a "cautionary tale" for others, preventing them from taking a similar path.
In the docuseries, Gypsy Blanchard also addresses her past struggles with painkiller addiction, which she described as leading her "down a really dark path." She revealed that she was high when she participated in her mother's murder but did not use it as an excuse, stating, "I don't blame drugs. I don't blame anything." She has been sober for four years now.
Despite the attention she has received, including amassing over six million followers on her Instagram account, Gypsy Blanchard is conflicted about her newfound fame. She feels grateful for the support but also deals with self-guilt and regrets.
In 2022, while still in prison, Gypsy Blanchard married Ryan Anderson, who had written to her during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anderson waited outside the prison upon her release, and they are now together for the first time. The couple has discussed starting a family, but they have not set a specific timeline.
When asked if her relationship with Anderson is her "happily ever after," Gypsy Blanchard humorously replied: "I had to kiss a couple frogs to get to this one handsome face."
