On Dec. 28, 2023, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from her 10 year prison sentence, and put on parole after only serving 8.5 years incarcerated. Since her release, Blanchard has quickly taken her place in the spotlight, gaining over 6 million followers only two weeks after her release, and has already put herself in the position to be canceled.
Blanchard lived a grim childhood, one that was so controlling and abusive that she believed the only way to escape this torment was what eventually led to her imprisonment.
Blanchard’s mother Dee Dee Blanchard had her daughter when she was only 24. By the time Blanchard was born her mother and father had already broken up, so she was raised by her single mother. As Blanchard’s life progressed, her mother convinced Blanchard and the people around them, including doctors, that Blanchard had illnesses like leukemia, muscular dystrophy, seizures, vision and hearing impairments, asthma and more. Despite actually being perfectly healthy, Blanchard was forced to use a wheelchair and feeding tube, furthering her mother’s facade. She was also forced to shave her head to mimic the effects of cancer treatment.
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana and destroyed Blanchard and her mother’s home. This disaster led to, “Habitat for Humanity,” a global nonprofit housing organization, to build them a new, wheelchair-accessible home. In this new town, Blanchard became close friends with one of the neighborhood girls. This girl was around her age and told Blanchard about how she had a boyfriend that she met through a Christian dating site.
The concept of “grown up” things like this caught Blanchard’s attention, having never ventured beyond Cinderella and Prince Charming romance stories. In October of 2012, Blanchard created a secret online dating account. This is when she begins her digital relationship with Nicholas Godejohn. As Blanchard and Godejohn’s relationship progresses the two of them decide that because of the controlling and hostile home environment Blanchard’s mother created, the only way they can be together is if Godejohn kills Blanchard’s mother.
Although Blanchard didn’t commit the “act” of killing her mother she did plan the entire thing, including stealing the knife that was used for her mother’s murder, and purchasing the bus tickets to get Godejohn to her house. These actions resulted in Blanchard’s 10 year sentence for second-degree murder in 2016, a year after her mother’s death.
Since her release, Blanchard and her now husband Ryan Anderson have been publicizing her life, something that the press has been feeding into. In fact, On Jan. 5, 2024, only 8 days after Blanchard’s parole, a new documentary about her experience as a Munchausen by proxy survivor was released. She has been featured on Good Morning America, a popular YouTube podcast called the Viall Files, The View, Entertainment Tonight and ABC News.
Since the initial high of Blanchard’s release has subsided, people are now beginning to question her reliability and accountability. On the Viall Files, Blanchard says “I don’t want to have to remind people every single time that I’m not the one that committed the act of the kill… I’m a part of it, but in the state of Missouri, there’s no such thing as accessory to murder.” This statement caused the beginning of the backlash towards Blanchard. People are saying that in saying this she is denying her role in the death of her mother and justifying her actions. Statements like these could also cause legal problems for Blanchard.
In order for a prisoner to be released on parole, the court looks for the prisoner to admit to what they have done, explain how they have come to terms with it, and express regret for their actions. Yet in these interviews, it seems at times Blanchard is taking the blame away from herself and does not show sincere remorse. Furthermore, when comparing each interview that has been conducted since her release, people have complained about inconsistencies in her stories. This makes it seem like Blanchard is lying about what happened the night of her mother’s murder.
In general, people are still interested to see where Blanchard’s life goes now that she has freedom and a husband. Many people are hoping for the downfall of Blanchard and Anderson’s relationship. Some speculate that Anderson doesn’t actually love her and is only using Blanchard as a means to gain popularity and access to the public eye. This idea is enforced to some as Anderson only reached out to Blanchard initially because of a dare. Some people expect the two to get divorced, especially those who know that only a week after they were wed, Blanchard seriously considered having the marriage annulled.
Never before has someone been so famous for murdering their mother. Yet until new information comes out about Blanchard, or she says something more outlandish on the internet, she has already begun to fade into the background.
