After nearly a decade in prison, Gypsy Rose Blanchard is a free woman.
The convicted murderer, whose case drew nationwide attention in 2016, was released on parole on Dec. 28, 2023 after serving eight years of her 10-year term.
In 2016 Blanchard, then age 23, was sentenced to ten years in prison for second degree murder of her mother, but got out three years early on good behavior, according to the New York Times. She is now living in Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, Ryan Anderson. Blanchard, now 32, met Anderson for the first time when he wrote her a letter in prison in 2020.
In 2016, Blanchard and Nicholas Godejohn killed Dee Dee Blanchard, Gypsy Rose’s mother, in Springfield, Missouri. Blanchard’s accomplice, Nicholas Godejohn, was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Dee Dee Blanchard suffered from Munchausen Syndrome by-proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children. In this case, Dee Dee continuously put Blanchard through meaningless medical procedures just to keep up this charade.
Psychology teacher Tyla Taylor, who had not heard of the controversy, understands how hard this psychological disorder is to diagnose.
“Clearly her mom was suffering from a disorder,” Taylor said. “Abuse comes in many forms. I thinks sadly that this is a form abuse that is much harder to diagnose or see as a bystander.”
“You don’t think that a parent or guardian would do that to a child,” added Taylor.
Blanchard had been through numerous pointless surgeries to prove she was sick when she really wasn’t. According to ABC News, in 2013 she had salvatory gland surgery when it was not called for. She was also wheelchair bound though she could walk.
When Margaret Edwards ’25 heard Blanchard was released from prison, she was happy that she had family to rely on, but worried about Blanchard’s mental state.
“Ever since I saw the movie clips on TikTok I have been pretty invested in the whole situation,” Margaret said. “I’m glad she’s happy with her husband, but I think she needs a lot of help.”
In 2019, Hulu released “The Act,” a true crime drama based on Blanchard’s story. Starring actor Joey King as Gypsy Rose, the show follows Blanchard’s connection between her and her mother, played by Patricia Arquette.
Blanchard has chosen not to watch ‘The Act,” she said, because she didn’t want to see any discrepancies between what actually happened and what people think happened.
“They often get wrong that my mother was an evil person,” Blanchard said in an interview with Hulu. “She was never purposely being mean or trying to hurt me. It is called mental illness for a reason.”
Other documentaries about Gypsy Rose’s story include: “Mommy Dead and Dearest,” “Gypsy’s Revenge,” “Gypsy Rose and Nick: A Love to Kill For,” and “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose.”
Like Margaret, Hayden Hedstrom ’24, is also wary of Gypsy’s mental health. She has been following the case for two years, she said, and watched “The Act.”
“I think she is mentally ill and unwell,” Hayden said of Gypsy Rose. “She seems to be transitioning really well so far, but we have no idea what could really be happening.”