Blanchard Gypsy Rose He was released from prison in December 2023 and has since been adjusting to life outside of prison. The 32-year-old’s post-prison life will be covered in the upcoming Lifetime docuseries. Gypsy Rose: Life after lockdownwhich debuts on Monday.
If you’re not familiar with Gypsy, it’s important to brush up a bit on her background: Her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, suffered from factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA), formerly known as Munchausen syndrome by proxya condition that led her to pretend that Gypsy Rose was sick and disabled to get attention, sympathy, and money from charities.
Gypsy eventually discovered that she was not as sick as her mother led her to believe and tried to escape from Dee Dee. After meeting her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, online, she planned to murder Dee Dee, and Nicholas carried out the stabbing. She remained in prison for eight years; Nicholas is serving a life sentence. The Hulu series The actwhich starred joey king and Patricia Arquette, was based on the story of Gypsy.
A lot of attention is paid to Gypsy at this point, even if she had some real medical illness. This is what she has shared.
So what illnesses did Gypsy think she suffered from?
in a 20/20 specialGypsy revealed that Dee Dee told people she had leukemia, asthma, vision and hearing problems, muscular dystrophy and seizures.
Gypsy believed that most of the illnesses imposed by her mother were true, but she eventually began to discover that many of her disabilities were not real. “There are certain illnesses that she knew she didn’t have. She knew that she didn’t need the Feeding tube; She knew she could eat. And I knew I could walk,” she said.
Well, did Gypsy suffer from any illness?
Gypsy believed one of her mother’s claims about the disease: “I believed my mother when she said I had leukemia,” she said in her interview with 20/20, but without any actual medical records confirming that diagnosis, no one knows for sure. (Dee Dee previously claimed that most of Gypsy’s medical records were lost in Hurricane Katrina.)
In reality, the only health problem Gypsy suffers from is a small visual impairment in her left eye. “I have a little lazy eye, not all the time,” she said. Apart from that, Gypsy has a perfectly clear state of health.
When asked why he believed his mother and agreed to use a wheelchair and feeding tube when he knew he didn’t need them, he explained that he admired his mother. For most of her life, she was his only friend. “I was very young,” Gypsy said. “I thought she knew better. “I didn’t question it.”
Gypsy added that her mother was able to convince doctors of her illness with her Southern charm, kindness and convincing lies.
Dee Dee also made Gypsy see hundreds of doctors to prevent them from noticing patterns. In one case, a neurologist doubted Gypsy’s muscular dystrophy and told Dee Dee that she had been misdiagnosed. Instead of being happy, Dee Dee stormed out and refused to go back to that doctor, according to the 20/20 special.
According to Gypsy, Dee Dee hurt her because she was mentally ill. “She was constantly seeking attention for herself because she didn’t feel loved,” Gypsy said. 20/20. “So let’s make this girl sick so she will always need you.”
Since her release, Gypsy has undergone a number of cosmetic procedures.
Since Gypsy was released from prison in December 2023, she has opted for a series of cosmetic changes, including dying her hair blonde, getting dental work, and undergoing a Rhinoplasty.
“I am currently going through a personal transformation journey, and that includes a physical one as well,” he said. People in April.
Later she told him ABC that she “wanted to do it for me, for my self-esteem, [and] what would make me feel beautiful about myself.”
And his nose isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Gypsy received porcelain caps to replace the silver teeth she has had for many years, according to TMZ. (Several teeth and salivary glands were removed by Dee Dee, who falsely claimed that Gypsy had cavities.)
He has struggled with his mental health since his release.
Gypsy said during a recent panel that she has mentally struggled with the backlash she has received online.
“I’m very introverted,” she said during a May panel, according to People. “Coming out [of prison] and this media storm hit me… At first, I was really touched by the positivity that people were showing me.” But Gypsy said the social media response “turned negative,” adding that it “started to have a negative effect on my mental health.”
Gypsy also said that she recently started using social media again and noted that she doesn’t read the comments people write. “I’m just trying to live my life the best way I can,” she said. “That will include mistakes, but I learned from them.”
But she also said ABC that she feels like people want her to act a certain way.
“Honestly, I’m starting to feel like they want a perfect victim, and there’s no such thing as a perfect victim,” she said of how the public sees her. “In their opinion, the perfect victim would have died. And now that I survived, and the perpetrator of the abuse is the one who died, then I’m getting the hate.”
Gypsy acknowledged that “it happens through my own fault every day, so it’s not like I can ever hide from it.” But she added that she can’t “crawl in a ball” and said, “I have to heal myself.”
She’s ready to step out of the spotlight.
In May, Gypsy said Entertainment tonight that he has had “wonderful opportunities” after his release from prison, but hopes they will fade. “I don’t think this will last and I think there comes a time when I have to make a decision,” she said. “When do I say, ‘Enough is enough?’ After so long of having my name in the spotlight, that moment will come very soon.”
He also talked about his desire to get a full-time job. “When things calm down and I have no obligations, I want to get a 9 to 5, but first I have to learn the things that will get me there,” she said.
Gypsy wouldn’t mind the hard work either. “Part of me thinks, ‘Maybe I should go work at McDonald’s.'” I love those fries!” she said. “But I also like retail. Maybe something at the mall, like Sephora or something, because I love makeup.”
Kristin Canning is a feature director at Women’s Health, where she assigns, edits and reports long-form articles on emerging health research and technology, women’s health conditions, psychology, sexuality, mental health, reproductive justice, wellness entrepreneurs, women athletes and the intersection of health, fitness and culture for both the magazine and the website. She has worked in health media for seven years, holding previous positions at Health, SELF and Men’s Health. When she’s not writing and editing, you can find her running, walking, biking, dancing, listening to podcasts, or planning her next outdoor adventure.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, and her work appears in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamor, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to one day own a teacup pig and a taco truck.
