Gypsy Rose Blanchard went from inmate to influencer practically overnight.
Since her release from prison in December 2023 for her involvement in her mother’s 2015 murder, her life has been a whirlwind–and making headlines.
While in prison, Blanchard’s case garnered public attention due to the bizarre, almost unbelievable events leading up to the crime that landed her in prison. While serving her sentence, Gypsy’s story became the subject of the 2017 Netflix documentary Mommy Dearest and was covered by many big-name true crime content creators on YouTube.
When she was released, Gypsy was free not only from the penitentiary system, but also from her domineering mother for the first time.
As if those weren’t big enough shifts to adapt to—she’s also newly famous.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Backstory
Gypsy Rose’s mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, had feigned illness after illness of her daughter, leveraging people’s sympathies and charity to support their lifestyle.
Dee Dee even had the Make-A-Wish Foundation sponsor a trip to Disneyland, and Habitat for Humanity built the mother-daughter duo a home after Dee Dee claimed their previous home had been destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.
Under Dee Dee’s guardianship, Gypsy was forced to use a wheelchair despite not needing one, underwent unnecessary medical procedures, and was coerced into portraying herself as younger than she actually was. However, her mother kept her isolated from the outside world through homeschooling and strict, overbearing parenting, preventing Gypsy from gaining any meaningful frame of reference to validate her suspicions or understand her reality.
As Gypsy entered her teenage years, she began to question whether the illnesses her mother had convinced her she had were actually real.
It all culminated in Gypsy orchestrating her mother’s murder with the help of her then-boyfriend, whom she had met online through a secret Facebook account.
Life After Release
Since her release, Gypsy has filmed and released the first season of her reality show Life After Prison, undergone a nose job, filed for divorce from the husband she married while in prison, reunited with an ex-boyfriend, and is now pregnant with that boyfriend’s child. She has been sharing her pregnancy experiences with followers regularly on social media.
Earlier this month, Blanchard was involved in a debacle during a family reunion trip, centered around a kayak incident. She shared her location on social media, attracting fans hoping for photo opportunities. In response, Blanchard posted a follow-up message requesting privacy.
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.
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 avoid the internet completely.
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.”
Someone might say she’s a hypocrite. But equally plausibly, perhaps she really doesn’t know what she wants and is navigating newfound fame and freedom the best she can. After all, she did go from an exceptionally sheltered, home-school life with her mother controlling every aspect of her existence to having her own show and nearly 10 million followers on TikTok alone.
Help and Support
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 advocating for in recent years, and a cause that Gypsy herself would like to get involved in.
The meeting was aired on the season 5, episode 8 of The Kardashians, and Gypsy shared a clip of the meeting on her Instagram.
“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 in the segment.
“Sometimes you have to like post, and then ghost,” Kim advises.
The Road Ahead
Ultimately, Gypsy has faced unimaginable trauma. She 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 spent 7 years in prison.
While serving her time, 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—have been on her ever since.
It’s important to remember that it hasn’t even been a year: She was released from prison on December 28th, 2023.
On the upside, Blanchard was able to secure income immediately upon her release through a deal for a Lifetime show, Life After Lockup. The show means she will have the resources to properly support herself and the baby for the time being.
While financial security certainly improves 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.
Space to Grow
Perhaps Gypsy will have the greatest chance of success and happiness in her new life if spectators drop their expectations of her and give her a chance to adjust to the life-changing paradigm shift the 33-year-old is acclimating to as best she can.
The content is provided for informational purposes and is based on the author’s perspective. Trendy Matters has no affiliation with any of the people or organizations mentioned in this article.
