Gypsy Rose Blanchard Biography, Career, Movies, Trial, Conviction, Husband

Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a convicted killer and Munchausen syndrome by proxy victim, convinced her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn to murder her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. Despite Gypsy’s superb health, Dee Dee convinced everyone that her daughter had a number of ailments, including leukemia, from an early age. In June 2015, Gypsy, then 24, assisted Godejohn in sneaking into her Springfield home and stabbing her mother to death.

Gypsy and Godejohn’s arrest stunned the nation since it revealed that the Make-A-Wish and Habitat for Humanity recipient had never been ill at all. The ensuing trial captivated the public, inspiring a number of documentaries and a TV series. Gypsy, who was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to more than eight years in jail, was freed in December 2023 and married Ryan Scott Anderson.

Early Life

Gypsy Rose Blanchard was born in Golden Meadow, Louisiana, on July 27, 1991. By the time she was born, her parents, Clauddine “Dee Dee” and Rod, had already split up, with the latter admitting he “got married for the wrong reasons.” Rod made an effort to communicate with his daughter and saw her on a regular basis until 2004, when Dee Dee and Gypsy moved.

Gypsy was three months old when her first apparent health concerns appeared, resulting in several overnight hospital admissions for sleep apnea. Despite the fact that tests yielded no good results, Dee Dee continued to seek therapy for a variety of medical conditions, including leukemia, muscular dystrophy, asthma, eyesight and hearing impairment, seizures, and an unexplained chromosomal disease. Gypsy was also need to utilize a wheelchair, feeding tube, and breathing equipment. Her mother pulled her out of school before she even reached third grade, claiming the seriousness of her medical conditions.

Gypsy spent her childhood undergoing a variety of surgeries, including one to remove her salivary glands. She had her teeth extracted when they began to deteriorate, possibly due to all of the medications she was taking or her lack of saliva glands. By 2008, while they moved in Missouri, Dee Dee had a locked cupboard filled from top to bottom with sorted Gypsy drugs.

Dee Dee Blanchard’s Long Con

In truth, Gypsy could walk, did not have leukemia, and did not require any of the surgeries. Indeed, Gypsy’s problems were most likely caused by the several unneeded prescriptions she was taking. She wasn’t genuinely bald; her mother was only shaving her head to maintain the illusion that she had cancer. Experts say Dee Dee’s behavior is the result of a mental ailment called Factitious disease placed on another. More often known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, it is possible that she fabricated—or perhaps caused—her daughter’s poor health in order to gain sympathy and acclaim from others for caring for a sick child.

Medical testing were frequently inconclusive, if not negative, but whenever a doctor questioned Gypsy’s diagnoses, Dee Dee simply found another practitioner. Because of her previous experience as a nurse’s assistant, she knew how to communicate with medical specialists and precisely identify the symptoms of each ailment. She also understood which pills could imitate the symptoms of the ailments she claimed Gypsy had. Dee Dee was always the one who spoke during hospital visits, while Gypsy was supposed to remain silently, holding a toy or stuffed animal.

Dee Dee was so charming and devoted to her daughter that most people avoided questioning her. If they did, Dee Dee would simply pick up and move. When she moved Gypsy to live with her own father and stepmother, Dee Dee claimed Rod was a heroin addict who had abandoned her. Keeping Rod at arm’s reach ensured that he would not interfere with her medical con.

Dee Dee and Gypsy later relocated to Slidell, near New Orleans, as Gypsy’s relatives began to question her need for a wheelchair. Dee Dee benefited from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. She stated that all of Gypsy’s medical documents and birth certificate had been destroyed, leaving her the sole authority on Gypsy’s medical history.

Gypsy’s mother utilized fabricated health conditions and Hurricane Katrina to secure financial help, allowing the two to relocate to Aurora, Missouri, in 2005. Habitat for Humanity constructed a beautiful pink house in Springfield, Missouri in 2008, complete with a wheelchair ramp and jacuzzi tub. Gypsy and Dee Dee received charity-funded concert tickets to meet singers such as Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, as well as a Make-A-Wish trip to Walt Disney World Resort. Footage from an American Cancer Society Relay For Life event shows Dee Dee smiling at Gypsy and stating, “This is why I was born, to be your mama.”

Suspicions of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

When Gypsy was 14 years old, she met a neurologist who felt she was a victim of Munchausen syndrome via proxy, but he never reported her case because he didn’t believe he had sufficient evidence. In 2009, two caseworkers went to Gypsy’s house after someone anonymously reported that the child’s health problems were manufactured. However, Dee Dee was able to utilize her charm to persuade them that nothing was wrong.

As Gypsy grew older, Dee Dee began lying about her age to make her appear younger and younger, even going so far as to falsify her birth certificate multiple times. Dee Dee refused to allow Rod wish his daughter a happy 18th birthday in 2009, claiming Gypsy felt she was only 14 years old. Gypsy was not permitted to attend school or socialize with his peers at this time. Early childhood films appear to depict Gypsy as a bright young girl. However, Dee Dee informed everyone that she had a mental age of seven. Gypsy couldn’t even leave the house unless she was accompanied by her mother, who would always hold her hand and squeeze it if Gypsy talked too much.

Despite Dee Dee’s claims, Gypsy knew she was physically capable of walking, and in 2011, she attempted to flee her mother by fleeing with a man she met at a science fiction conference. Dee Dee, on the other hand, was able to locate her down and convince the man that Gypsy was underage—despite the fact that she was 19 years old at the time. When Gypsy returned home, she said her mother shattered her computer, chained her to her bed, and threatened to crush her fingers if she tried to flee again. Gypsy also stated that her mother would slap her, call her names, and deny her food. Despite her fear, this encounter fueled Gypsy’s determination to connect with someone other than her mother.

Relationship with Ex-Boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn

Gypsy was able to reconnect with the internet in 2012, where she met Nicholas Godejohn through a Christian dating service. He lived 600 miles from Gypsy in Wisconsin, but they communicated online for more than two years. Gypsy revealed her fabricated medical difficulties a year into their relationship. “I couldn’t lie to him any longer. In the 2017 HBO documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest,” she stated, “I just told him everything.” Their online relationship revolved upon role-playing, BDSM, and fairytale fantasies about the future, and they communicated via Gypsy’s multiple hidden Facebook accounts.

In March 2015, they met for the first time at a movie theater in Springfield, Missouri to watch Cinderella. The aim was that Dee Dee would enjoy Godejohn after meeting him in person, and that the theater encounter would clear up any questions about how the two had met. Instead, Dee Dee became “jealous” of her daughter’s devotion toward Godejohn. “That was a very long argument that lasted several weeks. Gypsy told ABC News that he was yelled at, thrown items, and called names. When that failed, Gypsy approached Godejohn about saving her by murdering her abusive mother. They devised a strategy, and Gypsy paid for Godejohn to ride a bus from Wisconsin to Missouri and commit the murder.

Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard

On June 14, 2015, unsettling statements on Dee Dee and Gypsy’s shared Facebook page, such as “That b– is dead!” prompted worried neighbors and friends to contact the police. During a welfare check, cops discovered Dee Dee face down in her bedroom. She had been stabbed 17 times in the back and had been declared dead for days. Initially, cops were concerned that Gypsy, who they thought was ailing, had been killed or kidnapped by the killer.

At that time, Gypsy’s neighbor and confidante, Aleah Woodmansee, decided to inform the authorities about Gypsy’s hidden internet partner. Woodmansee had retained printouts of the talks Gypsy had given her, which assisted the officers in identifying and rapidly locating Godejohn. Less than 48 hours later, the officers nabbed the two at Godejohn’s home.

The truth was far more disturbing and convoluted. Gypsy was not only able to walk independently, but she also planned her mother’s murder to “escape” her abuse and control. In police interviews, she appeared heartbroken to learn of her mother’s death, but her actions shortly following the murder suggested otherwise.

Gypsy and Godejohn had sex in her bedroom before fleeing the house with $4,000, most of which came from Rod’s child support payments. They slept at a motel outside of Springfield for a few days and were recorded on surveillance cameras shopping at a nearby Walmart. Gypsy was seen wearing a blonde wig and walking unaided as they boarded a Greyhound bus to Godejohn’s Wisconsin residence, where they had mailed the murder weapon. They assumed they had gotten away with the murder, and Gypsy’s camera footage from their motel room showed the couple laughing and making sexual jokes.

Trial and Conviction

The sorrow at Dee Dee’s death swiftly gave way to sympathy for Gypsy, who had undergone years of maltreatment at the hands of her mother. In Missouri, a first-degree murder charge can result in the capital penalty or life in prison without parole, but prosecutor Dan Patterson chose not to pursue it in this “extraordinary and unusual” case. Gypsy’s counsel was able to reduce the charge to second-degree murder after getting medical evidence proving the torture. Gypsy was apparently famished and gained 14 pounds while in county jail, a condition in which most individuals lose weight.

Gypsy accepted a plea agreement in July 2016, admitting guilty to second-degree murder and receiving a 10-year jail sentence with the option of applying for parole after 8 years. Gypsy’s time in the Greene County Jail prior to her jail sentence also counted toward her total sentence.

Life in Prison

Gypsy spent her time at Missouri’s Chillicothe Correctional Center working on her GED, assisting screenwriter Franchesca Macelli in research for By Proxy, a proposed scripted series about her case, and making friends through the prison pen pal program, according to a Springfield News-Leader article.

In 2018, Gypsy’s stepmother, Kristy Blanchard, reported that she was “thriving” in prison. “Despite everything, she tells me that she is happier now than she was with her mother. And that if she had to choose between being in jail and being with her mother, she would prefer to be in jail. “For Gypsy, it means a lot of freedom,” her stepmother added.

Husband

Gypsy has been married to Ryan Scott Anderson since June 27, 2022, however the marriage was officially registered on July 21 of the same year. Anderson approached Gypsy to express his compassion after watching Mommy Dead and Dearest. “The emails turned into visits, which turned into a friendship, that later became more than a friendship,” family friend Franchesca Macelli stated in an interview with In Touch. “At the beginning of this year, they decided to get engaged.”

Gypsy was previously engaged to a man named Ken, whom she met through her prison’s letter pal program. They got engaged in April 2019, but her stepmother claimed Gypsy and Ken had called it off two months later.

In a 2021 In Touch piece, Macelli stated that Gypsy had dated several guys from behind prison. “I am frightened she will meet someone and marry him. These are the guys from the Gypsy support organizations. They became hooked to Gypsy, and many of them simply wanted fame. “One of the guys was 20 years older; they’ve already broken up,” Macelli explained.

Release Date

Gypsy’s father, stepmother, and a community of supporters unsuccessfully petitioned Missouri’s governor to pardon her after she was sentenced to 10 years for second-degree murder.

In September 2023, the Missouri Department of Corrections’ communications director informed In Touch that Gypsy had been granted parole and will be released on December 28, 2023. Gypsy was freed from Chillicothe Correctional Center around 3:30 a.m., having served 85 percent of her 10-year sentence. Her husband, Ryan, picked her up from the facility.

Movies and TV Shows about Gypsy Rose

In 2016, a BuzzFeed News piece headlined “Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom Murdered” brought attention to Gypsy’s situation, inspiring many documentaries and scripted shows.

In 2017, HBO’s documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and a Dr. Phil program titled “Mother Knows Best: A Story of Munchausen by Proxy and Murder” featured interviews with Gypsy.

In 2018, Good Morning America and James Patterson’s Murder is Forever Investigation Discovery series aired programs covering the case. In a special episode of 20/20 titled “The Story of Gypsy Blanchard,” ABC aired Gypsy’s first interview from prison that year.

The Act, a Hulu series based on Michelle Dean’s BuzzFeed News piece, premiered in March 2019 and won actor Joey King an Emmy nomination for her depiction as Gypsy. Patricia Arquette won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Dee Dee. Despite receiving critical acclaim, Gypsy called the series “unfair” and “unprofessional” for utilizing her real name and tale without her approval. Gypsy confirmed to Bustle via email that legal action will be pursued against the show’s creators. There is no public information available about whether Gypsy took legal action or the status of any resulting litigation.

Lifetime’s Love You to Death was advertised as “inspired by true events,” but included different character names. The case inspired Sony Entertainment Television’s CID episode “Death on Social Media,” while Netflix’s The Politician featured Gypsy, Godejohn, and Dee Dee-like characters.

On January 5, 2024, Lifetime premiered a 6-hour interview program titled “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.” Gypsy is collaborating with Macelli on a scripted series titled By Proxy, inspired by her personal experiences.

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