The saying, “blood is thicker than water” has been around since the twelfth century. The saying is meant to define how family is stronger than any other relationship in an individual’s life. But, what if your own family was unintentionally killing you and claiming you were sick with diseases that you never actually had…just for “publicity” and pity?
On May 3, 1967, a woman by the name of Clauddine Blanchard was born in Chackbay, Louisiana. Clauddine became pregnant at the age of twenty-four in 1991 and was then wed to her husband, Rod Blanchard. The two did not last long as Rod was only seventeen years of age when Clauddine became pregnant. He made a statement to Buzzfeed News this year stating, “I wasn’t in love with her, really. I knew I got married for the wrong reasons” (Blanchard 2024). The two split right after their child’s birth- leaving Clauddine with the baby all by herself. This baby was named Gypsy Rose Blanchard, her twinkling brown eyes and smooth brown hair made her stand out immediately in adorableness. However, this preciousness would soon be taken from Gypsy and plucked away piece by piece by her mother.
“Dee Dee,” mainly known as Clauddine Blanchard began diagnosing Gypsy with various illnesses as soon as she was born, claiming first that she had Sleep Apnea. At the age of eight, Gypsy was then diagnosed with Leukemia and muscular dystrophy by her mother. Gypsy was then placed in a wheelchair with a feeding tube. This would be where Gypsy would stay for the rest of her life, or until 2015. As the years progressed, Gypsy was given many “diagnoses” and medication for her illnesses. Dee Dee would also lie about Gypsy’s age, convincing everyone that she had the mind of a seven-year-old. Due to the appearance of everything horrible happening to Gypsy, her mother was given lots of attention and sympathy for all she had to do for her daughter. She was even considered a saint for all the hard work she was doing in love with Gypsy as her mother and daughter. However, she was no saint at all.
“Dee Dee” was classified to have a disease called Munchausen Syndrome by proxy; which is when an individual imposes ill health on others although they are not ill in any way. Gypsy’s mother followed through with this scenario for so long because of the pleasure she gained from pity, sympathy, and attention. Dee Dee even went as far as to remove Gypsy’s teeth after seeing she had one rotten tooth, and she also shaved Gypsy’s head frequently to ensure it looked like she had Leukemia. Gypsy was never allowed sugar, to play with other children, have friends, or be alone without her mother present (even with doctors) or anything, Gypsy was a prisoner to the one person who was supposed to protect and love her forever, her mother. Dee Dee had permanently bound Gypsy to a helpless, lonely, suffering life–until 2012 (Biography).
In 2012, Gypsy Rose Blanchard met the person who would free her of her mother’s ‘chains,’ Nicholas Godejohn (Deseret News). In October of 2012, Gypsy secretly made an online dating profile behind her mother’s back to which she met her soon-to-be boyfriend and hero. The two would maintain an online relationship from October 2012 to March 2015 where they planned to meet in person for the first time. Nick and Gypsy planned to meet at a movie theater where the new Cinderella movie was premiering; Nick was to be dressed as Prince Charming and Gypsy as Cinderella. Gypsy had convinced her mother to take her to the movies. However, she had no idea that the trip to the movie was for her to meet Nick. Once at the theater, Dee Dee was introduced to Godejohn and immediately disapproved of their relationship. Gypsy was taken home right after.
At this point, Gypsy was upset that her mother was controlling her relationship with Nick and decided that she wanted her mother dead. Gypsy did not want her mother dead because she hated her, but because she wanted to escape the abuse. On June 9, 2015, Nick Godejohn stayed at a hotel in Missouri where he waited for Gypsy to tell him that her mother was asleep before he came home. Gypsy gave Nick a knife and proceeded to hide in the bathroom with her ears covered as he murdered Dee Dee in cold blood. Dee Dee was stabbed seventeen times. After the murder, Gypsy and Nick went back to the hotel where they comforted each other after the horrific event. Gypsy went onto Facebook where she made posts stating her mother was dead. Claudine Blanchard was found by police dead in her home that evening. Gypsy and Nick were found on June 15, 2015, in Godejohn’s home in Wisconsin. During her trial, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was sentenced to ten years in prison and Nick Godejohn was sentenced to life. Behind bars, Gypsy Rose’s story still gained mass publicity for its sensational nature. While her love affair with Godejohn did not last, she has a newfound love. In 2022, Gypsy married her long-time prison pen pal, Ryan Scott Anderson, whom she corresponded with from 2019 to 2022 (E-News).
On December 23, 2023, Gypsy was released from prison at Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri after completing eighty-five percent of her sentence. She has since then rejoiced with her husband, friends and family (father and stepmother), and her newfound freedom (Today).
Gypsy has been all over social media such as TikTok where students and individuals from all over have heard about her release and the incessant stream of provocative content she has been posting since then. Even JCHS students have noticed Gypsy Rose Blanchard all over their for you pages on TikTok. Student Ezra Reiser commented, “I think she is a girl boss who is a bit twisted and has shared some PERSONAL things that should have been kept to herself, but I think the case itself is interesting.” Another student, Lizzy Morcom, shared, “It’s being overdone now. It was done at first, it is not a big deal anymore. I mean she is also contributing to it, so I guess it goes both ways”.
Both students feel differently about her, Ezra feels she is a girl boss without a filter, while Lizzy feels the whole news is overrated and is talked about too much now considering she was released last month. Maybe Gypsy should stop posting, maybe she shouldn’t? Do you all think she has a right to keep talking about everything considering what she has been through?
Is blood still thicker than water?
