Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Pop Culture Relevance Over the Years: From ‘The Act’ to ’20/20′
Gypsy Rose Blanchard has made headlines for more than just murder.
Gypsy was released from prison in December 2023 after serving seven years of a ten-year sentence. She was granted parole in September of that year.
Gypsy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016, the year after her allegedly abusive mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, was found dead with multiple stab wounds in her Springfield home.
In 2015, Gypsy was arrested alongside her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, with whom she planned the crime.
‘The Act’: Everything to Know About the Real Story of Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Gypsy’s mother was believed to suffer from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, “a psychological disorder marked by attention-seeking behavior by a caregiver through those who are in their care,” per WebMD. Because of Dee Dee’s alleged condition, Gypsy grew up believing that he suffered from leukemia, muscular dystrophy, brain damage, seizures, and vision and hearing impairments, among other illnesses. Dee Dee made the public believe her daughter was wheelchair-bound and had to use a feeding tube.
During her prison stay, Gypsy found her way into mainstream media as she appeared in a 2017 documentary regarding her crime. Joey King also portrayed Gypsy in Hulu’s The Act, a miniseries released in 2019.
Due to the high-profile nature of her case and subsequent prison sentence, Gypsy has garnered a few pop culture connections. Former The Bachelorette contestant Josh Sieter, for one, sent messages to a married Gypsy while she was in prison. Gypsy herself has even shared a public plea to befriend Taylor Swift following her prison release.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of all Gypsy’s pop culture connections:
‘Mommy Dead and Dearest’
In 2017, HBO released the Mommy Dead and Dearest documentary which featured interviews with both Gypsy and Godejohn.
‘Mother Knows Best’
Gypsy appeared from prison on a 2017 episode of Dr. Phil, which was titled "Mother Knows Best: A Story of Munchausen by Proxy and Murder."
‘Death on Social Media’
CID released an episode loosely based on Gypsy and Dee Dee in 2017. Instead of America, the murder’s location was changed to India.
‘Mother of All Murders’
Good Morning America featured a segment titled "Mother of All Murders" in 2018, which featured an interview with Gypsy during her time in prison.
The Investigation Discovery channel released a 2018 episode of James Patterson's Murder is Forever with the same title, which detailed Gypsy’s case.
‘The Story of Gypsy Blanchard’
ABC’s 20/20 showcased Gypsy’s story in 2018 through her first-ever network interview. Godejohn was featured in the episode as well.
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‘Gypsy's Revenge’
Investigation Discovery released a two-part docuseries titled Gypsy’s Revenge in 2018, which also featured interviews with her and Godejohn. Conversations with those connected to the former couple were also included in the show.
‘Love You to Death’
A Lifetime movie loosely based on Dee Dee’s murder was released in 2019 with Marcia Gay Harden at the helm. The movie came with a disclaimer that it was “inspired” by real events.
‘The Act’
King starred as Gypsy in the eight-episode miniseries, which also starred Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee. Arquette won an Emmy Award for her role.
‘The Politician’
Jessica Lange and Zoey Deutch starred as Dusty Jackson and Infinity Jackson, respectively, whose fictionalized relationship appeared to be based on Gypsy and Dee Dee.
‘Grace Is Gone’
The 2020 novel written by Emily Elgar was “ripped from today’s headlines,” according to the summary, seemingly referring to its similarities to what happened between Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee. The fictionalized version of the story takes place in Ashford, Cornwall.
‘The Bachelor’ Alum Josh Sieter’s Emails
In April 2023, Gypsy slammed Sieter — who first appeared on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Bachelorette season — after he sent her emails in jail and claimed they were in a relationship.
Gypsy’s family said they were “fully aware” of what was happening with Sieter in a statement at the time.
"She doesn't need a man because she is happily married to Ryan and in love. She is very busy preparing for her pending parole,” they continued. “She does not need the distractions. He is still attempting to email her and needs to know he will not get another response. He will not be allowed to visit and has been blocked so he need not try. In other words, she has no need for him to contact her again."
Gypsy, for her part, messaged Sieter that she knew “what lies” he was spreading online, per In Touch, telling him that she was married. (Gypsy married Ryan Anderson in 2022.)
“All I did was ask to get to know her,” Sieter wrote via Instagram Stories at the time, sharing a screenshot of Gypsy’s email. “This was totally uncalled for.”
Gypsy’s Hope to Meet Taylor Swift
Gypsy revealed to TMZ in November 2023 that she and Anderson had tickets to the Kansas City Chiefs game on New Year’s Eve. While at the NFL game, she hopes to cross paths with Swift, who is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
