After being released from prison not even a month ago for second degree murder of her mother, Gypsy Rose Blanchard is acquiring lots of internet fame. Blanchard is a victim of the worst case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy that ended in a killing. This is where a caretaker of a child, most often a mother, either makes up fake symptoms or causes real symptoms to make it look like the child is sick. Blanchard served eight years in prison. The act of killing was done by Nicholas Godejohn, her boyfriend at the time, who is serving a life sentence. Now that Blanchard has done her time, she is experiencing the real world for the first time on her own terms.
“I’m sure that we both have a lot of regrets. All I can really say is that I did my time. He’s doing his time for his part. And I wish him well on his journey,” Blanchard said in her interview with ABC.
Blanchard was welcomed home with a party. Photos were posted of her with her husband, Ryan Anderson, and her sister, Mia Blanchard. They popped champagne and shared Instagram photos to celebrate her release. In these photos, Mia Blanchard captioned the post “the sweetest hello, welcome home sister.” Gypsy Blanchard has been thrown into the real world but with love and family surrounding her.
“I think it’s pretty weird how much fame she has gained since being released for second degree murder. She killed her mother which is obviously wrong but how much she lied to her and made her sick made her feel like she had no other choice. I do think though she is going to use the fame to advocate and make the world a better place,” junior Rania Hesham said.
With her release, she has shared a lot of her daily life on social media alongside doing many interviews. Through these interviews, the world has finally gotten the chance to really understand Blanchard’s side and her life since the killing. She believes she has served for her crime and it is time to start her life with her husband. With this in mind, she is hoping to use her social media to really advocate for Munchausen syndrome by proxy and its effects on people. She wants to use her new found platform to spread information on resources about what she went through.
While Blanchard was in prison, there were many movies and shows produced about her story. The most well known show was “The Act” starring Joey King and Patricia Arquette. Blanchard has said that she is refusing to watch it because it will bring up past trauma and that other reenactments are inaccurate. However, it is now her time to share the truth behind her story.
“I think The Act and Gypsy’s perspective on her life are very different because stories from others, like Hollywood, can lead you to a different perception because it often includes false information. Even after hearing it from her and her time served, what she did was wrong and you should never fall on to killing someone,” senior Victoria Lima said.
“She had a lot of demons herself that she was struggling with,” Blanchard said regarding her mother and the life she inflicted on her. “I didn’t want her dead. I just wanted out of my situation. And I thought that was the only way out.”
Many people have different inputs and opinions on Blanchard and what she did. They think that her gaining all this fame and supporters is weird given she just got out of jail for murder. Some celebrated themselves when she got out by hosting parties and going out. No matter what you believe, Blanchard is a free woman starting her life after several years of torture.
