Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from prison early Thursday morning, KSHB News confirms. Blanchard served seven years after being convicted of the second-degree murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee†Blanchard, in 2015. Gypsy Rose and her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn conspired to kill her mother as a way to be free of her control, as her mother was suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a disease where a caregiver seeks sympathy for caring for someone by making up illnesses for their children. The psychological disorder made Blanchard believe she was suffering from various illnesses, such as cancer, when she was healthy. Blanchard claimed that she was the one who “talked†Godejohn into committing the crime. The Blanchards’ story was the subject of several news documentaries as well as Hulu’s The Act, a fictionalized retelling of what led to Dee Dee’s murder. Now, Blanchard stars in the upcoming Lifetime docuseries The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, on the childhood abuse she faced growing up and her current love life, as she got married in prison to her husband Ryan. Blanchard posted her “first selfie of freedom†on Instagram Friday. At the time of publishing, she had 4.9 million followers. Commenters offered suggestions about what pop culture she should catch up on now that she’s free. “I think you’d love Ice Spice and Flo Milli,†one commenter wrote. “ALSO, Betty White died silly bandz were discontinued.â€
On New Year’s Eve, Blanchard posted a TikTok thanking her 1.7 million followers on there for their support. “Hey, everyone, this is Gypsy. I’m finally free,†she began the video, before thanking everyone for the positive response she’s received on social media. “Everyone’s been really, really nice and supportive and I really appreciate that. It’s nice to be home. I’m back home in Louisiana, enjoying a beautiful day outside,†she said, before going on to plug her upcoming docuseries and new e-book, Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom, which she describes as a reflection of what she’s learned and experienced over the last eight and a half years.
With Blanchard back in Louisiana, it looks like she won’t be attending the New Year’s Eve Kansas City Chiefs game — where she told TMZ she had hoped to bump into Taylor Swift. Instead, TMZ reported that Blanchard’s parole officers wanted her out of the state, which probably explains why she opted for wearing a New Orleans Saints jersey in her video over Kelce’s No. 87. But the good news is that Swift will be taking the Eras Tour to New Orleans later this year, and if she needs someone to give the “22†hat to, she doesn’t need to look far.
This post has been updated.