The Shocking True Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard

The Shocking True Story of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re discussing the life of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, from her disturbing upbringing to her jaw-dropping arrest, to her recent release from prison.

Dee Dee & Gypsy, Together Forever

Gypsy-Rose was born to Rod and Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard on July 27, 1991. Of course, Gypsy’s exact birthday would become a subject of debate as she progressed in age. The 17-year-old Rod felt obligated to marry the 24-year-old Dee Dee when she became pregnant. It didn’t take long for Rod to sense that something was off about his new bride, who expressed interest in witchcraft. He wasn’t the first one to become wary of Dee Dee. Her family has accused Dee Dee of stealing and possibly starving her mother to death. With Rod realizing he didn’t love Dee Dee, the marriage ended before Gypsy’s birth. While Rod didn’t immediately exit the picture, distance grew as Dee Dee consumed her daughter’s life.

From the get-go, Dee Dee insisted that Gypsy suffered from various health problems, including sleep apnea, chromosomal abnormality, and muscular dystrophy. It wouldn’t be until much later that people realized Dee Dee was the one in need of medical treatment, showing clear signs of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. A turning point came when Gypsy was around seven or eight, getting into a motorcycle accident with her grandfather. It wasn’t a serious crash with Gypsy only enduring a scraped knee, but Dee Dee convinced the doctors to supply a wheelchair that her daughter became confined to. Dee Dee wasn’t the only family member mistreating Gypsy, who accused her grandfather of indecent assault. Rod was never abusive, although Dee Dee led Gypsy and others to believe otherwise.

Rod was pushed further away as Dee Dee moved with Gypsy to New Orleans. Dee Dee’s relationship with her family had also grown strained with accusations of poisoning her stepmother. While Rod continued to support Dee Dee financially, he remained oblivious to her faking Gypsy’s illnesses. Although doctors found nothing wrong with Gypsy, Dee Dee regularly subjected her to ER visits and surgeries, most notably receiving a feeding tube. Dee Dee pumped her daughter full of unnecessary medications, causing Gypsy to develop a substance use disorder. Leukemia, asthma, and seizures are just some of the other conditions that Dee Dee claimed to be ailing Gypsy. Aside from a slight lazy eye, though, there was little wrong with Gypsy, who trusted her mother nonetheless.

Hurricane Katrina left Dee Dee and Gypsy without a home. Conveniently for Dee Dee, Gypsy’s medical records and birth certificate were lost. The two eventually relocated to Springfield, Missouri where Habitat for Humanity built them a home. Dee Dee deceived several other high-profile organizations, including Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Dee Dee lied about Gypsy’s age and mental growth as well, a delusion supported by her height, lack of teeth, and high-pitched voice. Although Rod attempted to reach out with his new wife Kristy, Dee Dee kept them away and in the dark. Among the few who suspected something to be off was Dr. Bernardo Flasterstein, but there wasn’t enough evidence to get social services involved. Gypsy would take matters into her own hands.

An Imperfect Murder

Slowly but surely, Gypsy came to accept that her “caregiver” was lying about her health and age. When Gypsy was 19, not 15 as her mother claimed, she attempted to run away with a guy named Dan, whom she met at a sci-fi convention. It didn’t take long for Dee Dee to track down Gypsy, convincing her to come home. Upon returning, Dee Dee destroyed Gypsy’s computer and phone before handcuffing and leashing her to a bed for two weeks. Dee Dee buried photos of Gypsy and Dan in a mason jar along with a cow tongue and her daughter’s period blood. Putting a hex on Gypsy, Dee Dee allegedly told her, “You will never find love. You will never be happy.”

Struggling to escape, Gypsy saw murder as the only way out. Gypsy recalls attempting to shoot her mother, but she didn’t realize until after pulling the trigger that it was just a BB gun. Unable to do the deed herself, Gypsy turned to her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn. Gypsy met Godejohn online, coming to view him as her Prince Charming. An ex-girlfriend of Godejohn attempted to warn Gypsy otherwise. There were other warning signs, such as Godejohn’s dark fantasies and claims of having a murderous alternate personality. Regardless, Gypsy attempted to introduce Godejohn to her mother at a 2015 screening of “Cinderella.” Dee Dee wanted nothing to do with Godejohn, who claims that he had sex with Gypsy in the theater bathroom.

Godejohn agreed to murder Dee Dee with a knife that Gypsy stole from a Walmart. Gypsy would make a video instructing Godejohn on how to commit the murder. One night in June 2015, Gypsy professed her love to her mother before bed. After Godejohn arrived via taxi, Gypsy curled up in the bathroom while her boyfriend stabbed Dee Dee 17 times. Godejohn wanted to fulfill a depraved sexual fantasy with Dee Dee before murdering her. Gypsy convinced him not to, suggesting that they have sex instead. Although the two subsequently engaged in intercourse, Gypsy didn’t view it as consensual. They fled to Godejohn’s home in Wisconsin via bus, mailing the murder weapon to his family’s house.

In addition to being spotted by numerous witnesses, Gypsy made the misguided decision to post about the crime on Facebook. Dee Dee’s body was discovered about five days after the murder with the authorities soon tracing the Facebook post’s IP address to Godejohn’s house where the runaway couple was arrested. As neighbors mourned Dee Dee and feared for Gypsy’s life, the police uncovered the truth. Seeing Gypsy walk into a courtroom, everything that the public thought they knew about the Blanchards unraveled.

Gypsy, You’re Free

Although many would call this premeditated murder, the case was anything but conventional. As such, the prosecution chose not to pursue the death penalty. It was also decided that Godejohn and Gypsy should be tried separately since the latter had been abused for most of her life. As part of Godejohn’s defense at trial, his lawyers cited his low-average IQ, autism and extreme love for Gypsy as reasons for his actions; it didn’t work. Godejohn received a life sentence while Gypsy was sentenced to ten years after taking a plea bargain. Gypsy went from one prison to another with her substance use disorder escalating. Yet, Gypsy described her first day in prison as her “best memory,” finally feeling free from her mother’s grasp. Since then, Gypsy has reconnected with her father while forming new relationships.

Gypsy became engaged to a man named Ken after he watched the documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest.” Their engagement crumbled once Gypsy’s story was dramatized in the Emmy-winning miniseries, “The Act.” Gypsy has yet to see the show, which she didn’t consult on or receive payment for. “The Act” led to Gypsy blowing up on social media, bringing unwanted attention that Ken couldn’t handle. Gypsy found another fiance in a Louisiana teacher named Ryan Scott Anderson. The two almost called it off after Anderson learned that Gypsy had lied about still being in contact with Ken. The couple nevertheless tied the knot on June 27, 2022, although they considered getting an annulment following an argument. They’ve since decided to work through their differences.

Godejohn’s legal team is currently seeking a new appeal. Meanwhile, Gypsy was released on December 28, 2023, being paroled after serving eight years. She’s opened up through her book “Conversations on The Eve of Freedom” and gained a substantial online following. In an era dominated by true crime content, Gypsy’s story is one that’s kept the public coming back for nearly a decade. Part of what’s because of how many people the mother-daughter fooled, how long their ruse lasted, and how their relationship ultimately exploded. Gypsy’s story didn’t end there and it’s still unfolding. As Gypsy learned the hard way, there are no fairy tale endings. On the heels of abuse, murder, and incarceration, though, has the 32-year-old Gypsy-Rose Blanchard reached a point of closure?

What do you think is next for Gypsy-Rose Blanchard? Let us know in the comments.