With a cast that features Escape From Dannemora's Patricia Arquette [1] and The Kissing Booth's Joey King [2], Hulu's The Act [3] sheds light on one of the strangest and most tragic true crime stories ever. It weaves together a story about Munchausen syndrome by proxy and murder, revealing how Dee Dee Blanchard's toxic relationship with her daughter Gypsy Rose went out of hand. Dee Dee's fate ended in a grisly death, but it seems as though Gypsy's has only begun since her mother's passing.
If you haven't already heard of the story, here's a quick introduction to it. Dee Dee had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a rare condition in which a parent or guardian exaggerates or induces illness for attention or sympathy. For years, she made her daughter undergo treatments for illnesses [4] such as leukemia, epilepsy, and muscular dystrophy — in addition to convincing many that Gypsy had the mental capacity of a seven-year-old. For years, Gypsy underwent medications and surgeries, following whatever her mother said in fear of retaliation. Dee Dee had also kept a distance from her ex-husband, convincing Gypsy that her father didn't care about her [5]. Gypsy would eventually seek a way out. In June 2015, her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn murdered her mother with multiple stab wounds because she had asked him to.
Godejohn had pleaded not guilty but was eventually convicted of first degree murder with a sentence to life in 2018 [6]. Gypsy is currently serving a 10-year-sentence after pleading guilty to second degree murder, serving in the Missouri Chillicothe Correctional Centre.
She has been working on her GED in prison as of 2018 [7]. During an interview with Dr. Phil, the TV psychologist had asked Gypsy if the murder was justified [8].
"No, she didn't deserve what happened," Gypsy said. "If anything, she just deserved to be where I am."
Her stepmother, Kristy Blanchard, has said that Gypsy, now 27, is doing well in prison. Speaking with HelloGiggles, Kristy recalled that her stepdaughter mentioned an interest in a skilled profession [9] when she gets out of jail, possibly culinary school or library work.
"She is thriving," her stepmother said in a separate interview with Springfield News-Leader [10]. "There has been no long-term side effects from all the medication her mom had given her. She has a clean bill of health, thank God — and I really only think what it has done was stunt her growth."
In 2024, Gypsy will be eligible for probation [11], right before her 33rd birthday. Her time in prison has been something of a reflective and reparative period for her. In Mommy Dead and Dearest [12], HBO's documentary about her case, Gypsy said, "I get to start over. I'm newly born."