Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s story is a chilling account of extreme parental manipulation, deception, and eventual murder. Her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, falsely claimed that Gypsy suffered from various severe illnesses throughout her childhood, leading to devastating consequences. This tragic tale culminated in Gypsy arranging the murder of her mother in 2015, unveiling a harrowing narrative of abuse, control, and the desperate quest for freedom.
The Tragic Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother Dee Dee
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s story is a chilling account of extreme parental manipulation, deception, and eventual murder. Her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, falsely claimed Gypsy suffered from various severe illnesses throughout her childhood, leading to devastating consequences. The tragic story culminated in Gypsy arranging the murder of her mother in 2015, unveiling a tale of abuse, control, and escape.
WhatsApp Channel Join Button
Early Life of Gypsy Rose Blanchard
From a young age, Dee Dee began fabricating illnesses for her daughter. Gypsy, born in 1991, was subjected to claims of sleep apnea as an infant and leukemia and muscular dystrophy by the age of 8. Dee Dee convinced doctors, family, and friends that her daughter was severely ill, requiring a wheelchair and feeding tube.
Age
Illness Claimed by Dee Dee
Medical Interventions
Baby
Sleep Apnea
Medications, monitoring
8 Years
Leukemia, Muscular Dystrophy
Feeding tube, wheelchair, multiple surgeries
Teenage
Seizures, Asthma, Visual and Hearing Loss
Medications, surgeries, breathing machine
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: The Root of Dee Dee’s Actions
Dee Dee’s behavior is believed to stem from Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP), a mental disorder in which a caregiver fabricates or induces illness in another, often a child, to gain sympathy and attention. In Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s case, Dee Dee convinced the world of Gypsy’s fabricated ailments while receiving recognition for her “devotion” as a caretaker.
Medical Abuse and Misinformation: Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Medical History
Despite inconclusive medical tests, Dee Dee continued to push for unnecessary treatments for Gypsy. This resulted in Gypsy enduring multiple surgeries and heavy medications.
Symptom Claimed
Medical Procedure or Intervention
Leukemia
Chemotherapy
Muscular Dystrophy
Feeding tube insertion, wheelchair prescription
Seizures
Anti-seizure medications
Visual and Hearing Impairments
Eye surgeries, hearing aids
Gypsy Rose Blanchard Net Worth
According to Marca, Gypsy Rose Blanchard has a net worth of $3 million. While this may seem surprising for someone who has spent the past seven years in prison, Gypsy Rose has been diligently working and leveraging her public profile to generate income. She appeared in the documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest during her time in prison and has since featured in the documentary series The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the reality series Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up after her release.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard Carrer And Appearances
Year
Title
Role
2017
Mommy Dead and Dearest
Documentary; appears in both a prison interview and archive footage.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard was born on July 27, 1991, to 24-year-old Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard (née Pitre) and 18-year-old Rod Blanchard. From infancy, Dee Dee began claiming that Gypsy Rose had a variety of health issues. Initially, she asserted that Gypsy had muscular dystrophy and needed a walker. At around seven or eight years old, Gypsy was involved in a minor motorcycle accident with her grandfather, resulting in a minor knee abrasion. Following this, Dee Dee insisted that Gypsy needed a wheelchair.
Move to Missouri
After Hurricane Katrina destroyed their home in Louisiana, Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose relocated to a rented house in Aurora, Missouri. During their time there, Gypsy was honored as the Oley Foundation’s 2007 Child of the Year, an organization advocating for the rights of feeding-tube recipients. Despite knowing she didn’t need the feeding tube and could walk, Gypsy continued to maintain the façade out of fear of her mother. In 2008, Habitat for Humanity built them a small home complete with a wheelchair ramp and hot tub. Their story of a single mother caring for a severely disabled daughter after fleeing the devastation of Katrina attracted significant local media attention, with the community often stepping in to assist the woman known as Dee Dee.
A Charming Deception: Gypsy Rose’s Portrayal of Illness
Many people who met Gypsy Rose found her charming. Standing at 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m), she had a nearly toothless grin, large glasses, and a high, childlike voice, which reinforced the perception of her alleged ailments. Dee Dee would frequently shave Gypsy’s head to create the appearance of a chemotherapy patient, claiming it was necessary because her medications would eventually cause her hair to fall out. Gypsy often wore wigs or hats to cover her baldness, and when they left the house, Dee Dee would bring along an oxygen tank and feeding tube. Gypsy was fed the children’s liquid nutrition supplement PediaSure well into her 20s.
Dee Dee controlled Gypsy through physical abuse, often holding her hand tightly in public to prevent her from speaking out. If Gypsy suggested that she was not genuinely sick or expressed thoughts beyond her perceived mental capacity, her mother would squeeze her hand painfully. When alone, Dee Dee resorted to physical punishment, striking her daughter with her open hands or a coat hanger.
Growing Independence
Dee Dee appears to have forged a copy of Gypsy’s birth certificate at least once, changing her birth year to 1995 to support her claims that Gypsy was still a teenager. Gypsy later revealed that for 14 years, she was unsure of her actual age. Dee Dee claimed the original birth certificate was lost during the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina, although she kept another copy with Gypsy’s true birthdate. Gypsy recalled seeing it during a hospital visit and became confused when Dee Dee labeled it a misprint.
Gypsy had attended science fiction and fantasy conventions since 2001, often in costume to blend into their inclusive communities while using her wheelchair. At a 2011 event, she attempted to escape with a man she met online but was found by Dee Dee, who threatened to report her as a runaway using the forged birthdate. Following this incident, Dee Dee punished Gypsy by smashing her computer and allegedly chaining her to her bed for two weeks, though no physical restraints were found in their home. Dee Dee also told Gypsy she had filed paperwork claiming that Gypsy was mentally incompetent, which instilled a belief in her that no one would help her if she sought assistance from the police.
Gypsy Rose flirtatious conversations with Godejohn
Around 2012, Gypsy Rose made contact online with Nicholas Godejohn, a man her age from Big Bend, Wisconsin, whom she claimed to have met on a Christian singles website. In 2014, Gypsy confided to her neighbor, 23-year-old Aleah Woodmansee, who saw herself as a “big sister,” that she and Godejohn had discussed eloping and even chosen names for potential children. Gypsy maintained five separate Facebook accounts and engaged in flirtatious conversations with Godejohn, which included BDSM elements, although she later stated that it was more his interest. Despite Dee Dee’s attempts to limit Gypsy’s Internet use—destroying her phone and laptop—Gypsy kept in touch with Woodmansee, who saved printouts of her messages until 2014.
Godejohn Plan
The following year, Gypsy arranged for Godejohn to travel to Springfield. She planned to pretend to meet him for the first time at a movie theater while her mother was with her, aiming to create the impression of a chance encounter. When they met in person, Gypsy led Godejohn to the bathroom, where they had sex. Their online interactions continued, and they eventually developed a plan to murder Dee Dee.
Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard
On June 10, 2015, Godejohn returned to Springfield while Gypsy and Dee Dee were at a doctor’s appointment. After they returned home and Dee Dee went to sleep, he entered the Blanchard house. Gypsy Rose allegedly provided him with duct tape, gloves, and a knife, agreeing that he would use them to kill Dee Dee. She hid in the bathroom, covering her ears to avoid hearing her mother scream as Godejohn stabbed Dee Dee 17 times in the back while she slept. After the murder, Gypsy and Godejohn had sex in her room and stole over $4,400 in cash that Dee Dee had saved, primarily from child support checks. They fled to a motel outside Springfield, where they stayed for a few days while planning their next steps; during this time, they were captured on security cameras at several stores. Gypsy believed they had successfully evaded capture.
To avoid being caught with the murder weapon, they mailed it back to Godejohn’s home in Wisconsin and then took a bus there. Several witnesses reported seeing the couple on their way to the Greyhound station, noting that Gypsy wore a blonde wig and walked without assistance.
Investigation and Arrests
Concerned about alarming Facebook statuses posted from Dee Dee’s account, friends of the Blanchards grew suspicious. When phone calls went unanswered, several friends and neighbors visited the house. Although they knew the two often left for medical trips without notice, they found Dee Dee’s modified car still in the driveway, making an unannounced trip unlikely. Protective film on the windows obstructed the view inside, and no one answered the door, so they called 9-1-1. Upon arrival, police waited for a search warrant before entering, allowing a neighbor to climb through a window. He reported that the house was largely undisturbed and that Gypsy’s wheelchairs were present.
Once the warrant was issued, police entered and discovered Dee Dee’s body. Neighbors expressed concern for Gypsy’s well-being, worrying about her lack of wheelchair access, medications, and supportive equipment like oxygen tanks and feeding tubes. Friends set up a GoFundMe account to cover Dee Dee’s funeral expenses and potentially support Gypsy Rose.
Gypsy’s Boyfriend And Affair
Woodmansee, present on the Blanchards’ lawn, informed police about Gypsy’s secret boyfriend. She shared the saved printouts, which included his name. Police then requested Facebook to trace the IP address of the posts from Dee Dee’s account. This led them to Wisconsin, where police agencies raided the Godejohns’ home. Both Godejohn and Gypsy surrendered and were arrested on charges of murder and felony armed criminal action.
News that Gypsy was safe brought relief to Springfield, where she and Godejohn were extradited and held on a $1 million bond. However, Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott cautioned, “Things are not always what they appear.” The media soon uncovered the truth about the Blanchards’ lives: Gypsy had never been sick and had always been able to walk, but her mother forced her to pretend otherwise, using physical abuse to maintain control. Arnott urged the public not to donate money to the family until the extent of the fraud was fully understood.
Gypsy Rose pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a ten-year prison sentence, while Godejohn was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 25 years for armed criminal action.
While incarcerated, Gypsy Rose became engaged to a man named Ken Urker, whom she met through a pen pal program. However, they later ended their relationship. In July 2022, she married Louisiana teacher Ryan Anderson in a private prison ceremony with no guests present.
After Prison
Gypsy Rose was released on parole on December 28, 2023, after serving eight years of her ten-year sentence. She announced the release of her e-book
Dee Dee Blanchard’s Influence on Gypsy Rose’s Public Person
Dee Dee maintained tight control over Gypsy’s life. In public, she presented herself as a devoted mother, holding Gypsy’s hand and prompting her to stay silent. Gypsy was prevented from attending school, and Dee Dee convinced others that Gypsy had the mental capacity of a young child.
Aspect of Control
Dee Dee’s Action
Public Appearances
Held Gypsy’s hand, prompted silence
Schooling
Claimed Gypsy had a mental age of 7, no schooling
Medical Appointments
Dominated conversations, instructed Gypsy to remain quiet
The Neurologist Who Suspected Munchausen by Proxy
In 2008, a neurologist who examined Gypsy suspected that she was a victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. He observed that Gypsy’s ailments were likely fabricated by her mother. However, he did not report his suspicions due to a lack of concrete evidence, leaving Gypsy trapped in her mother’s manipulative control.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Attempt to Escape Dee Dee’s Control
By the time Gypsy was a teenager, Dee Dee’s control over her began to unravel. Gypsy attempted to escape by running away with a man she met at a science fiction convention in 2011. Dee Dee quickly found her and manipulated the situation by claiming Gypsy was underage. Back at home, Dee Dee punished her daughter by destroying her computer and physically restraining her.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard Meets Nicholas Godejohn
Desperate for a way out, Gypsy turned to the internet again, where she met Nicholas Godejohn on a Christian dating site. Their relationship escalated, and Gypsy confided in him about the years of abuse and manipulation she had endured. Together, they devised a plan to murder Dee Dee.
Year
Event
2011
Gypsy meets Nicholas Godejohn online
2015
Nicholas Godejohn kills Dee Dee Blanchard
2015
Gypsy is arrested and charged with murder
The Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard: Gypsy’s Final Escape
In June 2015, Nicholas Godejohn came to Gypsy’s house and killed Dee Dee while Gypsy waited in another room. The brutal act was Gypsy’s final attempt to free herself from her mother’s control. After the murder, Gypsy and Godejohn fled to Wisconsin, where they were later arrested.
Aftermath of the Murder: Public Reaction to Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Story
Gypsy’s story shocked the public when the details of her abuse came to light. Many people who had known Gypsy and Dee Dee questioned why Gypsy chose to have her mother killed instead of simply exposing the lies by standing up or walking. Gypsy later explained that she had been conditioned to believe that no one would help her and that her only way out was through drastic means.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Life in Prison and Public Sympathy
After Dee Dee’s murder, Gypsy was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the crime. Her story, however, garnered a significant amount of public sympathy, with many believing she was a victim of her mother’s manipulation and abuse.
The Media’s Portrayal of Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Story
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s story has been the subject of multiple documentaries, television series, and books. Notably, the Hulu mini-series The Act and the documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest brought widespread attention to the complex and tragic circumstances surrounding Gypsy’s life and Dee Dee’s death.
Conclusion: The Lessons from Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Story
The story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard highlights the dangers of unchecked parental control, mental illness, and medical manipulation. It also reveals the deep psychological impact of long-term abuse and the extreme measures some individuals may take to escape oppressive situations.
