After she was released on parole, Gypsy Rose Blanchard received tremendous support, gaining millions of followers on social media overnight.
Gypsy, now 32 years young, pleaded guilty back in 2016 to the second-degree murder of her mother, Clauddine ‘Dee Dee’ Blanchard. The whole saga unfolded when Gypsy, with her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn (who is now serving life in prison), decided to kill Dee Dee after Gypsy realized she’d been a victim of long-term abuse at the hands of her own mom.
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Dee Dee seemed to have a case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder where a caregiver (yup, that’s Dee Dee) fakes or causes illness in someone (in this case, Gypsy Rose) for attention. Not only did Dee Dee claim Gypsy needed to have a wheelchair, but she convinced medical professionals that she had asthma, epilepsy, and a laundry list of other illnesses.
Now that she is out of prison, Gypsy Rose Blanchard wants to advocate for others who may be victims of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, and she wants to do so by starting with psychology courses.
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Advocating For Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy
Instagram | Gypsy Rose Blanchard
In a new Q&A on her YouTube channel, Gypsy Rose Blanchard spoke on her goals to become a voice for those who are suffering from abuse or struggling with mental health.
“As far as advocacy works goes, I feel like that’s been a journey for me because I feel like I haven’t found my place yet,” she admitted in the video. “So, I feel like maybe taking some courses in psychology would help me have a better understanding of what I’m advocating for because I think that’s my problem right now.”
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“I just don’t have enough knowledge in that. You know, I have my experience to share my experience, and I do that by sharing my story,” she continued. “But to advocate for something, what does that mean? And so I’m trying to find what that means to me, and I feel like I need to gain more knowledge to be able to advocate.”
“So, I’m looking into taking courses in psychology, getting that background knowledge, to help me help others,” Gypsy concluded.
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Gypsy Rose On Helping Others
Instagram | Gypsy Rose Blanchard
This is not the first time Gypsy spoke out on advocating for victims of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Shortly after being released on parole, she announced that she “wants to do advocacy work” because “coming out and having this massive amount of social media followers gives a segue, so I can start working on my advocacy work and bring more awareness to mental health issues, sexual abuse, physical abuse.”
“I feel like I’ve experienced a little bit of everything, so I definitely want to share what I have gained in wisdom and guidance,” she added. “And just be a guiding light for anyone who feels they are in a hopeless, helpless place.”
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard On Coping
Instagram | Gypsy Rose Blanchard
As expected, the 32-year-old has struggled with mental health after the traumatic childhood she encountered. While she was serving her sentence, Gypsy sought professional help and has been working towards improving her mental health ever since.
“I keep to the same thing that I’ve always done,” she told Forbes. “If I feel overwhelmed at any point, I will listen to music. That’s how I release the anxiety. I will close myself off in a room, or be in a closed space, put on my headphones and I’ll journal for a little bit or lay back in my bed and decompress while listening to any song I feel like is relatable at that moment. That’s how I relax and stay mentally sane.”
Undergoing Unnecessary Medical Procedures
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As told in the 2017 documentary, “Mommy, Dead, And Dearest,” Dee Dee subjected Gypsy Rose to unnecessary medical treatments, surgeries, and medications. When describing the many doctors and hospital visits, Gypsy explained that her mother would do all the talking.
“I always had this stuffed animal or a Barbie doll, [and Dee Dee would] just tell me [to] ‘play with your Barbie doll,” she explained. “And when the doctor comes to examine me, just stay in the wheelchair; be calm; play with your doll, and don’t move your legs’.”
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Dee Dee managed to fool doctors by giving Gypsy medications that “induced many of the symptoms of diseases [that] doctors thought they were treating.” In nine years, Dee Dee brought Gypsy Rose to the hospital more than 100 times for various medical reasons, per records shown in the 2017 documentary.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Story Goes Viral
Instagram | Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Gypsy Rose’s story captured widespread attention, sparking a 2017 MAX documentary titled “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and a Hulu series called “The Act.”
For those unfamiliar with the case, Dee Dee was found stabbed to death in her Springfield, Missouri home in 2015. Her daughter, Gypsy Rose, and Gypsy’s then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, became suspects after police recovered incriminating text messages detailing the murder plot.
In 2016, Gypsy Rose faced trial for her involvement in her mother’s death. Investigators later found out that Gypsy was not actually ill—her mother had fabricated her medical history and misled the public into believing her daughter was sick. Dee Dee even manipulated doctors into performing unnecessary treatments and surgeries on Gypsy.
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The 32-year-old spent eight and a half years behind bars for her involvement in her mother’s murder. She was released on parole in December 2023.