Gypsy Rose Blanchard- Master Manipulator or victim?

Today's story takes place in "The Show me State". Known for its incredible barbecue, natural springs, and lively cities; Missouri is said to be one of the most beautiful states. Unfortunately, it's also known for it's higher percentage of violent crimes as well as property crimes. In 2020 alone, there were 723 murders. Statistics show it is only getting worse.

This is the state where Clauddine (DeeDee) Blanchard decided to take up roots with her daughter Gypsy Rose.

In 1967, DeeDee was one of five children born to Claude Anothony Pitre Sr and Emma Lois Gisclair in Chackbay, Lousiana. Her family doesn't seem to recall many positive memories of her. Some claim she would steal and was prone to throwing temper tantrums when things didn't go her way. Others say she was spolied by her mother. Some even speculate that she actually poisoned and killed her own mother and even withheld food from her in her final years.

More accusations came out years later that DeeDee had written several hot checks as well as stole multiple credit cards belonging to her deceased family members. She even did six months of jail time shortly after her daughter was born for writing a bad check.

When Deedee was 24, she became pregnant by a then 17-year-old Rod Blanchard. They were shortly married afterwards but wouldn't be together for too long. Rod would end up abandoning the family, claiming they were married for the wrong reasons and that he didn't love Deedee. In July 1991, shortly after their daughter, Gypsy Rose was born, her parents separated, and Deedee took Gypsy to live with family.

Gypsy was only 3 months old when her mother started making claims about her health. She swore to doctors that Gypsy had sleep apnea and they ran several tests but couldn't confirm the condition. That didn't stop Deedee from putting a breathing machine on her baby daughter at night and telling everyone of the illness. As she grew, more health conditions would arise.

One afternoon, Gypsie's grandfather took her for a ride on his motorcycle and they crashed. No one was seriously injured. Gypsy walked away with a scraped up leg. Her mother demanded she use a wheel chair while she recovered. Gypsy insisted she was fine, but her mother would never allow her to leave the wheel chair after this. She insisted she had muscular dystrophy, and that walking would worsen the condition.

Deedee would diagnose her daughter with more and more conditions and Gypsy and her parents would attend special Olympics where she would compete. Her mother took her out of school and said she would homeschool her due to her list of growing illnesses. Her mom never would teach her anything though. It was said that Gypsie's education was that of a second grader.

Over the years, more accusations were made that Deedee was poisoning her mother-in-law with Round up weed killer and writing more bad checks. She also took her daughter into the hospital and claimed she was having seizures. The doctors prescribed her anti-seizure medications. It has been said that in only one year, Deedee took Gypsy to the Emergency room over 100 times for different minor ailments. Any time a doctor would ask for more information, Deedee would go to a new doctor.

In August 2005, they lost their home in hurricane Katrina. Deedee took Gypsy to Missouri at this time and away from all of her family. They were gifted a house by Habitat for Humanity and were making headlines as the strong mother of a disabled daughter who had survived hurricane Katrina but lost everything. Everyone in the community stepped in to help and donated money and gifts to the both of them. They would receive free flights to different hospitals and trips to Disney World. They once were gifted free tickets and backstage passes to a Miranda Lambert concert as well as lots of letters of encouragement containing money from different families from all over the United States.

Deedee played the sympathy card with the locals by insisting they had lost everything, including Gypsie's medical records and birth certificate in Hurricane Katrina and that her father was a lazy drug addict who could never come to terms with Gypsie's illnesses and never sent her anything, not even a phone call. None of that was true, Rod Blanchard regularly sent payments of $1200.00 monthly for child support.

Deedee began shaving Gypsie's head, insisting her hair would fall out anyways due to a cancer medication Gypsy was taking for the Leukemia her mother swore she had. She also numbed her daughter's mouth with Orajel and took her to the hospital with claims she was drooling and choking on it all through the night. This prompted doctors to remove her salivary glands which resulted in several of her teeth rotting and also having to be removed.

In 2009, Dr. Bernardo Flasterstein alerted social services of his suspicions in regard to Gypsie's mother after he ran MRI's and blood tests that came back completely normal. He noted that Deedee was a horrible historian and that the things she was saying about her daughter were not adding up. Social services questioned the fact that Deedee had been using different names and birthdates for both her and her daughter, and she alleged she had done this only because she was attempting to hide from her abusive ex husband. They closed the file and no more well checks were conducted after this.

However, it was also around this same time that Gypsy came across her Medicaid card that claimed she was born in 1991, not 1995 like her mother claimed. Deedee had insisted Gypsy was only 14. She was actually 18. Her mother swore it was a misprint, but Gypsy was also starting to realize other things as well- like the fact that she could walk.

For her birthday, the Make-A-Wish foundation gifted Gypsy Rose a laptop. She would use this to make several social media accounts. She began reaching out to people online for the first time ever and making friends. In 2001, her and her mother attended a sci-fi convention dressed in costume. This would be Gypsie's first attempt at escape. She left her mother a note and decided to run away to live with a man she met online.

Several family friends had seen her and alerted her mother to where she was. Deedee rushed over and took her daughter back, threatening the man that Gypsy was only a child and that she would call the police if he contacted her again.

When they got home, Deedee was so infuriated that she handcuffed and used a dog leash to secure Gypsy to the bed. She also alerted doctors and police that Gypsy was mentally incompetent and could not take care of herself. this made Gypsy believe that police wouldn't believe her if she attempted to escape again. When she was freed from the bed, she grabbed her mother's gun and shot her ten times with it. She was shocked to find out it was just a BB gun. Deedee covered this up by telling the hospital she was robbed at a Walmart. She then smashed her daughter's laptop with a hammer.

In 2012, Gypsy had managed to secure another laptop for herself which she would use only when her mother was asleep. She signed herself up for Christiandatingforfree.com and met a man named Nicholas Godejohn. Nick was a man around her age that was diagnosed with autism, Aspergers, and multiple personality disorder. He had joined the website because his mother told him, if he ever wanted to find himself a good woman, then she needed to be a Christian.

Nick was trying to turn his life around and had just started a job at a local pizza place after serving a short time in jail. In 2013, Nick had been arrested for masturbating in a Mcdonalds while watching porn for 9 hours. He was charged with disorderly conduct as well as carrying a concealed weapon (a large folding knife). Nick claimed the witnesses had lied, that he had just been scratching himself. Police didn't believe him.

He had confided to Gypsy that he had several different personalities and she made up her own to fit all of his. She also confided in him that she could in fact walk and that her mother forced her to stay in the chair. She then made at least five different Facebook accounts including accounts under the names- Nicholas Bella Rose, Snowgypsy Blanchard, Gypsy's Trip, Bella Rose and Gypsy Rose. She began posting online and flirting with Nick. In the dead of night, she would dress up as her different characters and send pictures to Nick.

In March 2015, the two concocted a plan to meet at a local movie theatre by 'accident'. Gypsy begged her mom to take her to see the live action Cinderella and then bought Nick a bus ticket to Springfield, Missouri. Her plan was to have Deedee and Nick meet and he would say lines that would make Deedee think he was perfect for her daughter and would ultimately let the two date. This didn't work. Deedee thought Nick was creepy for showing up to a childrens movie with no children or girlfriend and claimed her was a predator. This didn't stop Gypsy from sneaking off to the bathroom where her and Nick had sex for the first time on the bathroom floor.

They also shared kisses and took a photo inside the movie theatre. Deedee couldn't stand Nick. This was when Plan B started to come together.

Gypsy called Nick and told him her mother hated him and wouldn't allow them ever to be together as long as she was alive. She also told him that her mother had beat her so severely that she had wet herself and Nick claims that broke him. He told her Victor, one of his personalities, his "evil side" would take care of the problem. So Ruby, the evil side of Gypsy, asked him to. He agreed.

Gypsy made Nick a video of what he would be walking into. She took her camera and walked through her mother's bedroom. She showed him her bed and where she would be sleeping, then made stabbing motions with her hands and told him exactly what to do. She told him that gloves, duct tape, and a knife she had stolen from Wal-Mart would be on the porch. She told him to be very careful coming inside because the screen door is squeaky. "Open it just enough to come inside and then close it gently", she instructed him. She also told him she was going to paint her nails a deep pink for him. She finished up by saying, "The bitch is dead." and she was "100,000 percent in".

Upon his arrival, Nick texted Gypsy to "Get her ass in the bathroom". And he proceeded to carry out the plan. He claims that this was the first time in his life he had a devil/angel moment. He said he had one on each shoulder and they were instructing him on what to do. He said he wanted to take Gypsy and run, but the devil won, and the plan was carried out.

Nick, or Viktor, made his way to Deedee's room where it's alleged, he stabbed her at least 17 times. One of which left her almost decapitated. When it was done, he went to the bathroom and performed his secret knock the two had planned so that Gypsy would know it was him and not her mother. She opened the door and let him inside. She noticed a deep cut on his hand where the knife had slipped due to all of the blood. She cleaned up his hand and bandaged him, then went to clean up all the blood he may have dripped onto the carpet. Gypsy alleges Nick forced her to do this in the nude.

She also alleges that he took her into the room and raped her because she told him he wasn't allowed to rape her mother. There are a lot of conflicting bits of information to this part of the story.

Nick claims it was consensual and that he never was going to rape Deedee. He says Gypsy and him engaged in consensual sex and then she "sucked him off". She claims he forced her, and she screamed for him to stop.

After that, the two dressed, called a cab, packed Gypsie's belongings, and packed the knife and gloves into an envelope to mail to his house in Big Bend, Wisconsin. They also stole $4,000.00 from the house and left to a hotel. This is when they ordered pizza and brownies and Gypsy dressed up like her alter ego, Kitty, and they began to start to make a porno tape.

The next day, they took a bus to Nick's home and that's where they stayed for the next few days. Eventually Gypsy broke down and said she wanted to let someone know about her mother's body so she would be found. They signed into her Facebook account that she shared with her mother and posted "That bitch is dead!." She also left a comment on that post detailing the murder from the murderer's perspective however, the comment has since been deleted.

Police were alerted of the grisly posts and went to investigate. Deedee's body was discovered, and the police noted that all of Gypsie's medical supplies, including the wheelchair she needed 24/7 was still inside the house. A go Fund Me account was set up to pay for both funerals.

A neighbor came forward with print outs of conversations Gypsy had been having publicly on Facebook with Nick and the police used these to find the account and trace the IP address, leading them straight to Gypsy and Nick. They surrendered and were taken in for custody. Gypsy denied any involvement. At first, Nick told a story of rescuing Gypsy, but he soon would break down and admit to stabbing her mother.

The news of her being a murderer as well as able to walk unassisted quickly spread. She was treated more as a victim than a murderer however due to the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her mother. Her attorneys obtained her medical records from Louisiana and began to work on a plea bargain for her. In 2016, Gypsy was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Nick, however, faced a harsher charge. Though he had acted on Gypsie's orders and thought he was playing the role of a hero- the sympathy for him was severely lacking. Gypsy took claim in asking Nick to kill her mother, but she said he acted on his own. That she did not participate at all. In February 2019, Nick was sentenced to life in prison. His attorneys had plead for a lighter sentence claiming their love-sick client had only acted on her orders. The judge denied it and gave him another 25 years on top of his life sentence. The judge also denied a motion for a new trial.

No one in Deedee's family mourned her loss. They claimed Deedee deserved what she got. They insist Gypsie's punishment was more than her fair share and that she had suffered enough. No one would pay for Deedees funeral and it's said her father and step mother flushed her ashes down the toilet.

Gypsy was released in December of 2023 and has already made over 3 million dollars from social media and a book she published. She is also married to Ryan Scott Anderson, (a man who wrote her while she was in prison) and is contemplating having children. Part of her parole is she is not allowed to have any contact with Nicholas Godejohn.

Nick sent Gypsy a letter after finding out she was engaged to a man named Ken, alleging she was cheating on him and that she belonged to him. She wrote back saying she wishes him the best and has no interest in pursuing a romantic relationship, she also informed him that she belongs to no one.

Her family has said that Gypsy seems to display the same sociopathic manipulative behaviors as her mother at times.

My personal thoughts-

Since Gypsy Roses release, I have been watching and reading everything I can find. When I first heard of her being let out, I admittedly didn't know so much about the case. I only knew she was a girl who was abused and finally snapped. I thought, "Well, good for her. plenty of other people being released to actually be concerned about"- (But that's a whole different story).

After reading and watching everything, my opinion has slightly changed.

I have watched The Act on Hulu. The first few episodes had me feeling so bad for Gypsy. Her mother was really an awful individual who did her so wrong. Specifically, the episode where she lost her teeth hit me hard.

A few episodes later, I was feeling badly for Deedee. It started showing her in a more vulnerable way and how her mother had abused her as well- a learned behavior. It doesn't make her abuse of Gypsy ok by any means, but it does give you more of an understanding as to why she was the way that she was.

I also watched Snapped- Killer Couples. Nick gave an exclusive interview and I felt for him. He told his side. It felt genuine. Like he was not lying. Problem is- his story does not really align with what Gypsy has said.

Also, I fear for Gypsy if he does get out. He made a comment about how he wished he could relive several moments with her. The look in his eyes as he said these things seemed inhuman. Like if he could be next to her, he would literally try to absorb her or something. He seemed genuinely obsessed.

I watched her Lifetime series- some of the stuff she said in that didn't align with things she had said in the past. In Snapped, she talked about the letter Nick had sent to her and how he claimed ownership of her for taking her virginity. She claims he never took her virginity. In her lifetime series, she said he did. That doesn't give someone ownership of you by any means, but it is an inconsistency.

Another thing I take issue with is the sneaking around Gypsy was able to do. I'm not saying her mother wasn't overprotective and such. I will say this, I came from a very over protected house. My mother hovered badly. She would read my letters from friends, my emails, my chat conversations with friends, and even listen in on my phone calls. She didn't keep me sick or anything like that, but there is absolutely no way I would be able to sneak around as easily as she could. I would never have been able to take pictures with a stranger in a movie theatre, let alone sneak off and have sex in the bathroom. Seems strange to me that a mom that over-bearing wouldn't notice something was amiss.

I also watched the court trials, the videos she made from her phone, and the interrogation of both of them. She lies and lies her entire interrogation. Nick does not. The videos she made on her phone clearly show this was well thought out. Another video she made shortly after the murder has them laughing and getting ready to initiate in consensual sex. Gypsy makes the comment, "He's eating a brownie, but later, he will be eating me." and then laughs. This doesn't show someone who felt remorse, if you ask me.

I think Gypsy knowingly manipulated Nick into doing her dirty work. If you go to his Facebook page, the only posts left seem to be Change.org petitions in support of children who have been abused. I believe Gypsy saw that and ran with it. She claims he was so overtly sexual and that she wasn't ok with the things he was saying and doing, or making her do- but since her release, she has been making inappropriate comments about her husband and his "D" for the world to hear.

I personally feel like she may have been in on the hoax with her mother. There is even a point in time where her mom threatens, she will be held accountable for things since she is now 18 and Gypsy panics. I think she learned how to lie from her mother and is using her story to get pity just like her mom did with her fake illnesses. I might feel differently if she didn't come out of prison and jump right into trying to be an influencer and attend red carpet events. She alleged she just wanted a normal life. to drive a car and get a job, but nothing about her release has been normal at all.

Her husband seems like a total creep as well. Gypsy said she didn't want to get married in prison, but between their phone calls, he pushes her into it (That's just my opinion). He says she will have a big wedding and a dress etc. when she is out, but why not just wait all the way around? Maybe it had something to do with her step-mother posting all kinds of stuff on her own Facebook page about the release of Gypsie's book and other things that involved her making money. Marrying her before she makes all that money is a good way to insure you, too, are entitled to a piece of it.

I also believe Nick should at least be transferred to a hospital rather than a prison. He wouldn't even be in this situation if Gypsy hadn't asked him and gave him all the tools to commit the crime. Seems vastly unfair.

I don't know, those are just my own thoughts after falling down the rabbit hole. What are yours?