How Gypsy Rose Blanchard went from being convicted for killing her abusive mother to a TikTok star

How Gypsy Rose Blanchard went from being jailed for plotting to kill her mother to becoming an internet sensation, Warren Nettleford reports

Words by Rachel Dixon, Multimedia Producer

From sick child, to being convicted over her mother's murder, to fast becoming a social media star, the turbulent life of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is the subject of fascination.

Gypsy was sent to prison in Green County, Missouri, in 2016 for convincing her then-boyfriend to stab her mother to death.

But Gypsy claimed she had been abused by her mother for years, and that she was made to pretend she had leukemia, leading her to have unnecessary surgery and medication.

Blanchard was allowed out of jail on parole last month and has since become an unlikely Instagram and TikTok star, gaining six million followers on each site.

Here's the story of Gypsy's life, as she continues to gain notoriety.

Mother and Munchausen's

As a child, Gypsy grew up believing she had leukemia and muscular dystrophy - she did not, this was a fantasy her mother Dee Dee Blanchard had created.

She used her invented illness to control Gypsy, leading her to have unnecessary surgery and medication.

Gypsy used a wheelchair, feeding tube and an oxygen tank, even though she had no health problems.

Her mother was said to have suffered from a rare psychological disorder called Munchausen's syndrome by proxy. It means when a caregiver creates the appearance of health problems in another person, in order to gain attention.

Even Gypsy's age was a lie. Her mother had said she was younger to make it easier to perpetuate the fraud, and got away with it because Gypsy was so small: just four feet, 11 inches tall.

Dee Dee also used her daughter's illness to get freebees from charities - the pair were given free tickets to sporting events and Disneyland, as well as even being relocated to a purpose built house after their Louisiana home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

But then Dee Dee's abuse became more physical: later in court, Gypsy testified her mother beat her and chained her to a bed.

Murder plots and online love

As Blanchard grew up, she began to realise she was not sick and the only way to break free from her mother and her illness was to escape.

She tried to run away but this failed.

Then, Gypsy fell in love with Nicholas Godejohn, whom she met secretly on a Christian dating website.

The pair plotted to kill her mother and went through with the plan.

Gypsy supplied the knife and hid in the bathroom as Godejohn stabbed the girl's mother to death, according to the probable cause statement.

The two ultimately made their way to Wisconsin by bus, where they were arrested.

In 2016, Gypsy, who was 25-years-old at the time, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

She confessed to convincing her boyfriend to stab her mother to death as she slept.

“I wanted to be free of her hold on me,” Gypsy testified at the 2018 trial of Godejohn, who is serving a life sentence in the killing. She went on to add: “I talked him into it.”

During the trial it was uncovered Dee Dee had been controlling Gypsy through Munchausen's by proxy.

Godejohn was convicted of murder and sentenced in 2019 to life in prison, without the possibility of parole.

“Nick was so in love with her and so obsessed with her that he would do anything,” Godejohn’s trial attorney Dewayne Perry argued in court, saying his client has autism and was manipulated.

Prosecutors, however, argued he was motivated by sex and a desire to be with Gypsy.

Finally being free

After serving eight years of her 10 year prison sentence, Gypsy was allowed to walk free on parole.

She used her time behind bars to marry Ryan Scott Anderson, now 37, of Saint Charles, Louisiana, who she met after becoming pen pals while she was still in prison.

Gypsy gained popularity online recently after revealing she was hoping to meet Taylor Swift when she was released from prison.

She also revealed in a TMZ interview that she used money sent from her father to buy the songstress' merchandise.

Since her release, Gypsy has been sharing her freedom with fans on Instagram and TikTok, where she has six million fans on each site.

The 32-year-old said in a video on her accounts: "Hey everyone, this is Gypsy. I'm finally free."

"I just wanted to send a quick video to thank everyone for the massive amount of support that I've been getting on social media, everyone has been really, really nice and supportive and I really appreciate that."

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