Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from prison after serving most of her 10-year sentence on Thursday, December 28. Since accepting a plea deal for her involvement in her mother Dee Dee Blanchard’s murder, Gypsy has served 7 years. Gypsy was involved in helping Nicholas Godejohn plan her mother’s murder, but since her death, she’s accused her mom of abuse.
Gypsy, now 32, was released after serving about 85 percent of her sentence. She was granted parole in September 2023. Dee Dee’s murder has been covered in many documentaries, like the HBO film Mommy Dead and Dearest, or TV shows such as The Act or Love You to Death. Ahead of Gypsy’s release, find out more about what happened to Dee Dee.
Dee Dee Had Gypsy Rose When She Was 24
Dee Dee, born Claudine, became pregnant with Gypsy with her ex Rod, who was 17 at the time. After she gave birth to Gypsy around 1991, Dee Dee and Rod split up, and she went to live with her family. Beginning from a young age, Dee Dee made up claims about her daughter’s health, including that she suffered from sleep apnea, muscular dystrophy, and cancer.
Dee Dee Lied About Gypsy’s Age & Her Being Sick
Because of Dee Dee’s claims about her daughters’ health, Gypsy was prescribed multiple medications, and her teeth rotted, according to Biography. Gypsy tested negative for the conditions that her mother tested her for. Dee Dee also shaved her daughter’s head to support her claims about cancer. Because of her training as a nurse, she was often able to describe the conditions that she claimed her daughter had. She also told her daughter to not speak about her symptoms in appointments, and when her family began suggesting that Gypsy was able to walk, Dee Dee moved them both.
As Gypsy got older, she began to attend charity events and receive trips to Disney World. As she got older, Dee Dee falsified her daughter’s birth certificate, and she would lie about her age to make her appear younger than she actually was.
Since Dee Dee’s murder, some experts have theorized that she had the mental illness Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. The condition leads to caregivers to lie about their children being sick and can lead to parents to falsify medical records or lie to physicians, per Family Doctor. A neurologist who saw Gypsy had suspected that Dee Dee had it, but didn’t believe there was enough information to prove it.
Gypsy Accused Dee Dee of Being Abusive
After she was arrested and sentenced, Gypsy has given a few interviews about her mother. She opened up about the treatment from her mom in a 2018 20/20 interview. She said that while she believed her mom’s claims that she had leukemia, she knew that there were “certain illnesses” that she was sure she didn’t have. Gypsy also claimed that she tried to run away once, but her mom “physically chained me to the bed and put bells on the doors.”
As she got older, Gypsy said she wanted to explore the outside world more, but it would lead to fights. “It would go into an argument that would last a couple days, or it could be something where she wouldn’t feed me for two days, or so,” she said. “It started to be physical in 2011. She would hit me with a coat hanger sometimes.”
Dee Dee Was Murdered in June 2015
In 2012, Gyspy connected with Nicholas Godejohn through a Christian dating website, and they began to connect online. They also forged a plan to kill Dee Dee, per Time. Nicholas came to Springfield, Missouri in June 2015. He checked into a motel room, but after Dee Dee fell asleep, he snuck into her room and stabbed her multiple times. After the murder, he and Gypsy had sex in her room, and they fled to Wisconsin. A few days later, police found Dee Dee’s body,
Both of them were returned to Springfield, and Gypsy quickly accepted a plea bargain for a 10-year sentence in July 2017. After a trial, Nicholas was given a life sentence in 2019. Gypsy spoke about her sentenced during a 2017 appearance on Dr. Phil. “I believe firmly that, no matter what, murder is not okay. But at the same time, I don’t believe I deserve as many years as I got,” she said. “I do believe that I do deserve to spend some time in prison for that crime, but I also understand why it happened, and I don’t believe that I’m in the right place to get the help that I need.”
Dee Dee’s Family’s Reaction to Her Murder
Even though Gypsy has spoken out about her mother’s treatment, she’s still expressed regrets about Dee Dee’s death. “I’m glad that I’m out of that situation, but I’m not happy she’s dead,” she told Dr. Phil in the above-mentioned interview.
Since Dee Dee’s death, Gypsy’s step-mom Kristy has expressed concerns that Dee Dee may have killed her daughter had she not been killed in an interview with In Touch Weekly. “Dee Dee would tell me, ‘When I die, I hope she dies with me, because one can’t live without the other,'” she said. “Now thinking back, it’s like, ‘Oh my god, she would’ve ended up — She would’ve killed Gypsy. She would have.’”
Gypsy’s cousin Bobby Pitre also explained some concerns about Dee Dee in a 2019 interview with Radar Online, per Newsweek. “She was pretty f**king crazy. She deserved to die,” he said. “She’d be controlling Gypsy for sure. She had Gypsy right where she wanted her.”