For most of her childhood, she was told she was dying. She wasn't. Her mother was.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016 for orchestrating the killing of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, after enduring what prosecutors themselves described as nearly two decades of systematic abuse. She was released from prison in December 2023 and has since become a prominent public figure.
A Childhood Built on Fabricated Illness
From Gypsy Rose's infancy, her mother, Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard, told doctors and the public that her daughter suffered from a long list of serious conditions, including leukemia, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, and severe developmental delays. None of it was true. Dee Dee kept Gypsy Rose in a wheelchair she didn't need, subjected her to unnecessary surgeries and medications, and had a feeding tube implanted despite Gypsy Rose being able to eat normally. Experts who later reviewed the case described it as one of the most extensive documented cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a condition in which a caregiver fabricates or induces illness in someone under their care.
A Secret Relationship, and a Plan
As Gypsy Rose got older, she began secretly pushing back against her mother's control, eventually meeting Nicholas Godejohn online in 2012. The two began a secret relationship, and by 2015, exhausted by years of isolation and control, Gypsy Rose asked Godejohn to kill her mother. He traveled to their home in Springfield, Missouri, and stabbed Dee Dee to death on June 9, 2015, while Gypsy Rose waited in the house.
Arrest and Sentencing
Both were arrested shortly afterward. Gypsy Rose pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison; prosecutors explicitly cited the extreme mitigating circumstances of the abuse she'd suffered in reaching that sentence. Godejohn was convicted of first-degree murder at a separate trial and is serving a life sentence.
Early Release
Gypsy Rose was released on parole on December 28, 2023, after serving roughly eight and a half years. Her case had already drawn massive public attention through documentaries and a Hulu dramatized series, "The Act," and her release generated significant renewed media coverage.
Life Since Prison
Since her release, Gypsy Rose divorced Ryan Scott Anderson, whom she'd married while incarcerated, and reunited with a former boyfriend, Ken Urker. The couple welcomed a daughter, Aurora, in December 2024. Gypsy Rose has published a memoir, "My Time to Stand," appeared on reality television, and built a large social media following. Her parole officially ended in June 2025, and she has continued speaking publicly about her case, expressing remorse toward her mother's family while also placing responsibility on Godejohn for the killing itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gypsy Rose Blanchard still in prison?
No. She was released on parole in December 2023 and completed her parole entirely in June 2025.
What happened to Nicholas Godejohn?
He was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving a life sentence.
Was Gypsy Rose actually sick as a child?
No. Investigators and medical experts found she was a healthy child whose mother fabricated a series of illnesses, a case widely cited as an example of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.