Gypsy Rose Blanchard went from inmate to influencer practically overnight. Since her release from prison in December 2023 for her role in her mother’s 2015 murder, her life has been a whirlwind — and making headlines.
While in prison, Blanchard’s case gained public attention for the stranger-than-fiction circumstances. Her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, had feigned illness after illness of her daughter, leveraging people’s sympathies and charity as a lifestyle. Dee Dee even got Make-A-Wish foundation to sponsor a trip to Disneyland, and Habitat for Humanity build the mother-daughter duo a home after Dee Dee claimed their had been destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.
Under Dee Dee’s guardianship, Gypsy was unnecessarily wheelchair bound, had needless operations, and was coerced into acting younger than she really was.
As Gypsy grew older and entered her teen years, she began to question if her illnesses, which her mother had indoctrinated her into, were real. Moreover, she increasingly desired independence and believed that her mother would never let her live a normal life, as Gypsy’s purported illnesses were the basis of both their livelihoods.
It all culminated in Gypsy orchestrating the death of her mother with the help of her then-boyfriend, who she met online through a secret Facebook account.
Since her release, Gypsy filmed and released season one of her new reality show, got a nose job, filed for divorce from the husband she married while in prison, got back together with an ex boyfriend, and is now pregnant with said-boyfriend’s baby.
Earlier this month, Blanchard got into a debacle involving a kayak on her family reunion trip. She posted her location, but when people went there in hopes for photo opportunities, she posted that she needs privacy.
YouTuber Ammy Robinson explained the drama in a recent video. The general consensus in the comments infers that if Gypsy wants privacy, then she should just get off the internet completely.
Before she was released from prison, her story became so widespread across social media that many people developed parasocial relationships with her. Some expected her to be a role model, filled with gratitude at all times.
In the past, Blanchard has deleted all her social media, claiming “That’s not real life.” However, she recently returned, rebranding her social accounts to “Gypsyrosemedia.” In her bio, she lists herself as an “Influencer.”
Maybe she’s a hypocrite. Or maybe she really doesn’t know what she wants and is navigating this newfound fame and freedom the best she can. Luckily, Gypsy recently met someone who may be able to give her advice on navigating the ups and downs of fame, someone who knows it well: Kim Kardashian.
In May, Kim met with Gypsy Rose to discuss prison reform, a cause that Kim has been aggressively advocating for in recent years, a cause that Gypsy herself would like to get involved in. The meeting was aired on the season 5, episode 8 of The Kardashians.
“Sometimes I feel like I’ll post a selfie, and them I’m expected to like, have some greater message behind it,” Gypsy tells Kim.
“Sometimes you have to like… post… and then ghost,” Kim tells her.
Ultimately, Gypsy has faced unimaginable trauma and has never lived a normal life after being deeply sheltered under her domineering mother’s control.
She was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused by her mother until age 23, then was in prison for 7 years. While in prison, her story gained attention, and her release found her navigating adulthood and the limelight for the first time, and all at once. Cameras documented her release and have been on her ever since. It hasn’t even been a year: She was released from prison on December 28th, 2023.
Blanchard is due to have her baby in January 2025. She told People magazine, “I’m currently in therapy for my sanity and my mental well-being and I checked all the boxes to make sure I’m stable. All I can say is that I have a strong support system, and Ken and I are in a very good place.”
On the upside, Blanchard was able to secure income immediately upon her release through a Lifetime show, Life After Lockup. The show means she will have the resources to properly support herself and the baby. While income certainly ups her chances of acclimating into society successfully, the added complexity of her fame may prove a double edged sword that can make the road ahead even more difficult.
Perhaps Gypsy would have the greatest chance of success and happiness in her new life if spectators dropped their expectations of her and give her a chance to adjust to her newfound freedom, fame, and adulthood.
