Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who pled guilty to second-degree murder for her role in her mother’s death in 2015, was released from prison this week after serving less than eight years of her 10-year sentence. Her story and subsequent notoriety has captured public interest, inspiring documentaries and dramatized portrayals in film and television. Now a free woman at age 32, many are wondering what comes next for Gypsy Rose.
Prison Release and Internet Fame
Blanchard was released from Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri on Monday, a state spokesperson confirmed. She had served her sentence for second-degree murder since pleading guilty in 2015 for her role in the stabbing death of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard.
Within days of her release, Gypsy Rose debuted a TikTok account featuring videos of herself. She quickly amassed over 650,000 followers in less than 48 hours as her story went viral online. Fans praised her new short haircut and marveled at the fact that someone who had undergone such a traumatic ordeal could now freely post on social media.
In an interview with Good Morning America shortly after her release, Gypsy Rose said she was embracing the internet fame, but was trying not to get caught up in it. “I just have to be very careful not to muddle myself back into any kind of victim mentality,” she said.
Nonetheless, experts say Gypsy Rose stands to make millions from her internet celebrity status. She could potentially earn income from sponsored social media posts, television appearances, book deals, and more. Her devoted fanbase makes her an attractive partner for advertisers and producers looking to cash in on her fame.
“She has a level of celebrity now that very few people can just step into out of nowhere,” said public relations expert Marvin Townsend. “The sky’s the limit in terms of the money she could make.”
Troubled Past and Dee Dee’s Murder
Gypsy Rose’s troubling childhood and pathological relationship with her mother has long captivated public interest. For most of her life, Gypsy Rose was confined to a wheelchair and led others to believe she suffered from a host of illnesses, including muscular dystrophy and leukemia. In truth, she had no serious health problems at all.
Her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, had fabricated tales of her daughter’s ailments in a case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a disorder in which a caretaker exaggerates or induces illness in someone under their care. Dee Dee systematically abused Gypsy Rose, controlling every aspect of her life under the pretense it was necessary for her various made-up conditions.
Friends and neighbors were unaware of the abuse, instead viewing Dee Dee as a tireless, saintly single mother caring for her desperately ill child. But in June 2015, Dee Dee was found stabbed to death in their Missouri home. Investigators soon learned that Gypsy Rose had orchestrated her mother’s murder, enlisting the help of her secret online boyfriend to carry out the fatal stabbing while Gypsy Rose hid in the bathroom.
The lurid details of the case, including the extremes of Dee Dee’s medical child abuse and Gypsy Rose’s involvement in her murder, have fueled endless public intrigue and debate around culpability.
Looking to the Future
In her recent interviews, Gypsy Rose has expressed remorse for her role in her mother’s murder and a desire to advocate for victims of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. “I feel like I have a greater purpose to serve,” she told ABC News. “I want to be an advocate for children that have suffered medical child abuse.”
Some experts believe Gypsy Rose may still present an ongoing danger without proper counseling and support to process her past trauma. “You don’t just walk out of prison after going through what she went through without issues,” cautioned clinical psychologist Darren Wilson-Thompson. “She likely still carries emotional scars that she’ll need to reconcile.”
As part of her parole, Gypsy Rose is prohibited from having any further contact with her ex-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn, who carried out the fatal stabbing of Dee Dee and remains in prison. She must also continue mental health treatment and avoid legal trouble.
Where Gypsy Rose chooses to live now remains unclear. Some outlets reported she left Missouri shortly after her release due to safety concerns as her location became public. Regardless of where she settles, many will be closely watching her next moves as she embraces her newfound freedom and fame.
Overall, reactions to Gypsy Rose’s release have been mixed. Some express sympathy for the abuse she endured and wish her well. But others contend she still deserves punishment for her willing participation in her mother’s premeditated murder.
“She made a choice to have her killed instead of walking away,” commented one social media user. “Her actions have consequences regardless of her mom’s behaviour.”
Only time will tell whether the public forgives Gypsy Rose and allows her to reinvent herself, or continues judging her by the darker chapters of her past.
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