Gypsy Rose Blanchard On Her Mom’s System Manipulation

Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, reportedly subjected her to years of alleged abuse through Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a rare psychological disorder in which a caregiver fabricates or induces illness in someone under their care for attention, sympathy, or financial gain.

Dee Dee allegedly convinced Gypsy, as well as medical professionals, family members, and the public, that her daughter suffered from numerous severe health issues, including leukemia, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, and a host of other chronic conditions. She even supposedly leveraged Gypsy’s fake illnesses to solicit donations, free trips, and other forms of support.

Organizations like Make-A-Wish Foundation provided free vacations to Disney World for Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mom, while Habitat for Humanity built a wheelchair-accessible home for them.

Gypsy was the recipient of numerous charitable donations during her time living with her late mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee,” but it’s a part of her past she prefers not to dwell on.

Now 33, Gypsy reflects on her upbringing in her newly released memoir, “My Time to Stand,” which was released on Tuesday, December 10. In the book, she details the alleged abuse she endured at the hands of her mother.

“I didn’t know I could think for myself until I began to search the internet with an HP notebook laptop. I was told the computer was a gift from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society one Christmas,” Gypsy explained, adding that the organization believed she was 13 years old, despite the fact that she was actually 18 at the time.

“We received a lot of help and gifts from charities along with government entitlements, like food stamps, disability checks, and Section 8 housing. It’s a fact that makes my skin crawl,” the ex-con added.

Gypsy was also falsely labeled as having developmental delays, leaving her entirely dependent on her mother. To support these claims, Dee Dee forced Gypsy to use a wheelchair, shaved her head to mimic the appearance of a chemotherapy patient, and fed her unnecessary medications, which often caused real side effects. Gypsy underwent countless medical tests, surgeries, and treatments—all unnecessary and orchestrated by her mother.

The now 33-year-old recalled watching her mother “maneuver her way around the system, craftily researching” nonprofits and organizations that could provide assistance to their family.

“I didn’t know it was a scam until about a year after I found my Medicaid card with my correct birth date listed, when Mama became more physical and violent with me after I re-questioned her about it, pushing back against her storytelling,” she wrote. “The discovery of my real birth date was not my ‘aha moment’ per se, but it did act as a warning siren to be more alert and observe more closely.”

As Gypsy grew older, she began to realize the extent of her mother’s lies and control. She eventually learned that she wasn’t truly sick and that she had been manipulated her entire life. Her attempts to escape Dee Dee’s grip were thwarted, as Dee Dee would isolate her, control her online activity, and physically punish her.

In 2015, after meeting a man named Nicholas Godejohn online, Gypsy conspired with him to kill Dee Dee. Godejohn stabbed Dee Dee to death, an act in which Gypsy was complicit. Gypsy later admitted she saw it as her only way out.

Following Dee Dee’s death, the truth about her abuse and deception came to light, shocking the world. Gypsy pled guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Godejohn received a life sentence.

While Gypsy was held accountable for her actions, her case ignited conversations about abuse, mental health, and the failures of systems that overlooked countless red flags in Dee Dee’s behavior. Gypsy was released from prison in December 2023 after serving 7 years. Now, she is working to rebuild her life, including starting a family, and has expressed remorse for her role in her mother’s death while continuing to reflect on the trauma she endured.

Her story has been the subject of documentaries, interviews, and dramatizations, including the Hulu series “The Act.”

Earlier this year, Gypsy announced that she is expecting her first child with Ken Urker. The couple originally met through a prison pen pal program while Gypsy was still incarcerated. After their initial split, she married Ryan Scott Anderson in 2022 while serving her sentence.

However, she filed for divorce in April 2024. By the end of that month, Gypsy confirmed that she had reconciled with her former fiancé, Ken Urker.