Who Is Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Who Was Forced to Fake Illness in Wheelchair & Was Involved in Mother's Passing?

• Gypsy Rose Blanchard was led to believe she faced numerous health issues and disabilities.
• Her mother, Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard, convinced her of severe illness while exercising control over her life.
• Gypsy and her online boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, were convicted of murdering Dee Dee. After close to 10 years in prison, Gypsy is now a free woman.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is a woman whose life story gained widespread attention due to its complex and troubling nature. Born in 1991, Gypsy was made to believe that she suffered from various health issues and disabilities, including leukemia, asthma, and muscular dystrophy.

Gypsy spent much of her childhood in doctors' offices, hospital rooms, and the house she shared with her mother, Clauddinnea "Dee Dee" Blanchard, in Missouri. Dee Dee confined Gypsy to a wheelchair and portrayed her as a severely ill child and cancer survivor.

According to Gypsy's father, Rod Blanchard, his daughter had a normal childhood. However, Dee Dee, who worked as a nurse aide, began claiming she was ill, experiencing sleep issues, and alleging conditions like epilepsy. From this point, Gypsy's sickness just progressed.

Rod and Dee Dee divorced, and soon, she remained Gypsy's primary caregiver. Rod would visit his daughter, but Dee Dee never left them alone. The dad recalled, "Something never felt right about it. Dee Dee was so controlling." By the time Gypsy was eight, Dee Dee told Rod that she had leukemia, muscular dystrophy, and was paralyzed.

Rod would praise Dee Dee for doing such a great job of taking care of their daughter. Gypsy's mother was her caregiver and her only friend, as she rarely stepped outside. The girl would be fed with a tube for nutrition and given medicine, alongside surgeries and other treatments. The mother and daughter got on so well that Gypsy said she saw her as "an angel that can do no wrong."

During this time, Gypsy also became a celebrity. After Hurricane Katrina devastated their Slidell, Louisiana home, 14-year-old Gypsy and her mother moved to a Springfield, Missouri house courtesy of Habitat for Humanity. The home was equipped with a wheelchair ramp to accommodate Gypsy's needs.

Without holding a job, Dee Dee and Gypsy supported themselves through social security, disability checks, food stamps, and Medicaid, which covered Gypsy's medical expenses. Unbeknownst to Gypsy, her dad was also paying child support.

Gypsy and her mom also jetted across the country to meet celebrities. Charitable organizations funded their trips, including one to Disney World. News profiles and articles in Missouri covered their story. Gypsy spoke at conferences, giving an insight into her conditions. The celebrity tag earned mother and daughter gifts and donations even from Miranda Lambert.

When Gypsy grew older, things changed. First, she had suspicions about the authenticity of her medical conditions. Furthermore, she was now a teenager and was interested in boys. However, Dee Dee didn't give her daughter any independence, so she controlled her life. She even broke Gypsy's phone and laptop to prevent her from going online.

Things got worse when Dee Dee punished her daughter physically, denied her food, and even chained her to a bed when Gypsy tried to run away, but her mother found her a few hours later. Gypsy never fought back, but she was defiant when she created an online dating profile behind her mother's back.

This was when Gypsy met her online boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, from Big Bend, Wisconsin. The duo had an online relationship for two and a half years via Facebook Messenger. In March 2015, Gypsy and Godejohn met for the first time at a Springfield, Missouri, movie theater.

Gypsy, dressed as Cinderella, and Godejohn, as Prince Charming, aimed for Dee Dee's approval, but unfortunately, she didn't approve. She was jealous that Gypsy and Nicholas were so close that she ordered her to stay away from him. The two had an intense argument, and at this point, Gypsy, who insisted she didn't hate her mother, wanted Dee Dee dead so she could escape her.

Everything unraveled on June 14, 2015, when authorities discovered 48-year-old Dee Dee stabbed to death in their home. In less than 48 hours, Gypsy and her online boyfriend were apprehended in connection with her mother's murder.

Gypsy later narrated that Nicholas stabbed Dee Dee while she hid in the bathroom. After she died, the girl couldn't believe she was finally free. She felt remorse and guilt but was overwhelmed by the prospect of starting a new life.

The murder of Dee Dee was unveiled when Gypsy made a social media post on her and Nicholas' joint Facebook account. Gypsy didn't want her mother's body to stay for a long time without being found. She wanted her to have a proper burial, so she made a post alerting people of Dee Dee's death.

People saw the bizarre social media post on Gypsy and her boyfriend's joint Facebook account. The post, indicating the gruesome details of a crime, prompted local police to respond. Upon arriving at Blanchard's residence, they tragically discovered Dee Dee's lifeless body. Later, they arrested Gypsy and Nicholas.

After the pair's arrest, everything came to light. People and authorities soon learned that Dee Dee fabricated her daughter's medical history, subjected her to unnecessary medical treatments, and confined her to a wheelchair for years.

Dee Dee falsely portrayed Gypsy as having multiple illnesses, including leukemia and epilepsy. Gypsy was compelled to use an oxygen tank and a wheelchair as part of the elaborate facade Dee Dee had crafted.

The community, who were made to believe that Gypsy was fighting for her life and had rallied around her by helping with her bills, were shocked by this news. They saw Gypsy walking in court, and she was also healthy.

In court, Nicholas received a life sentence for the first-degree murder of Dee Dee, while Gypsy was sentenced to jail for ten years on a second-degree murder charge. On December 28, 2023, Gypsy was released from prison after serving eight years.

Gypsy was released from Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri as per the Missouri Department of Corrections. In an interview with People, she expressed her readiness for freedom, stating she was prepared to broaden her horizons, and she believed that applied to every aspect of her life. Reflecting on her mother's death, Gypsy emphasized she would never express pride or joy in what transpired.

Speaking about the death of her mother, Gypsy added that no one will ever hear her say she was proud of what she did or she was glad that Dee Dee was dead. "I'm not proud of what I did. I regret it every single day," she revealed.

Gypsy is now 32-years-old. As much as she isn't proud of what she did, she said she felt freer living in prison than she ever felt living with Dee Dee. The woman is glad that she is now allowed to live like a normal woman.

Gypsy is excited to start her life fresh with her husband, Ryan Anderson, 37, a Louisiana teacher she married behind bars in 2022. The pair are in love, and Gypsy feels like she has finally found happiness and love.