Whether it be a real institution or just her mother's home, most people would say Gypsy Rose Blanchard has been in some sort of prison for nearly her entire life.
At just 3 months old, Gypsy's mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, began claiming her daughter had severe issues and conditions, starting with sleep apnea and stretching to cancer, muscular dystrophy, seizures, asthma, hearing and vision problems, chronic ear infections and more by the time she turned 8 years old.
Gypsy was manipulated into believing these ailments were true for years, as her mother consistently was able to fool doctors and the public alike.
Then at age 20, Gypsy began to fight back, realizing her inability to walk, her dependence on a feeding tube and other side effects of her "illnesses" had been lies her mother proclaimed her entire life; she was perfectly healthy.
Who is Gypsy Rose Blanchard? Why a 'sick' girl helped murder her mom
Gypsy Rose Blanchard will soon be released from prison. Here's a look at why she served time for the murder of her mother.
It wasn't until she was 24 that she escaped this prison of what's now believed to have been Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a relatively under-recognized disorder of which Dee Dee has become a global case study.
Those with the condition, now professionally referred to as factitious disorder imposed on another, are typically described as caregivers who make a dependent person, like their child, appear ill so that they can gain attention for themselves.
Though unknown then, it's this condition that Gypsy now says pushed her to plan her mother's murder — with the hand of her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn.
Godejohn fatally stabbed Dee Dee while Gypsy says she hid in the bathroom in June of 2015. Soon after, the couple was arrested on first-degree murder charges, though Gypsy was later able to secure a second-degree murder plea deal after her defense obtained her true medical records.
The month after the murder, Gypsy was sentenced to 10 years in jail, but eight years in, she was granted parole.
Now at 32 years old, Gypsy is tasting freedom for the first time in her life, and she has some big things ahead of her.
Here's everything we know about Gypsy's post-jail plans.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard released from prison after her mother's murder
Blanchard's case garnered widespread national attention after she orchestrated the murder of her abusive mother.
Growing her family
Gypsy tied the knot with Ryan Scott Anderson in July 2022 while still in Missouri's Chillicothe Correctional Center. That's where he picked her up Thursday in a Cadillac, donning a Bret Hart license plate that read "HITMAN."
The two first connected in 2020, when Anderson sent her a letter not expecting to hear back.
Anderson told People he was working at a hospital at the time when a co-worker said she wanted to write a letter to "Joe Exotic" — the subject of the uber-popular "Tiger King," which had just come out on Netflix. He told the publications he had recently watched the HBO documentary and Hulu series about Gypsy's story, so he said to his coworker, "I'll tell you what, if you write him, I'll write Gypsy Rose Blanchard."
Gypsy told PEOPLE she initially responded to the letter because Anderson was from her home state of Louisiana, where he now works as a middle school teacher. But not long after, the pair began a back-and-forth email exchange, deepening their bond and becoming a long-distance couple.
Now that the married couple are free to live in the same place, they told PEOPLE they're looking forward to starting a family, though Gypsy said she knows a tough conversation about what happened to their grandma would be ahead.
However, she told the publication she has no concerns about repeating her mother's mistakes after years of self-work and continued therapy. She also said she doesn't see any major hardships in her life with Anderson.
"I think this, being in prison, has been the hard part," Gyspy told People. "I think when I'm at home with my family, with my husband's arms around me and I'm surrounded by my loved ones, that is when I will be happy."
Presence in the public eye
Gypsy's story gained national attention soon after the public realized the motive for Dee Dee's murder, and now, it's been covered in basically every form of media.
Most notably, her life was the subject of the 2017 HBO documentary "Mommy Dead and Dearest." Then Hulu turned the story into a crime-drama miniseries called "The Act" in 2019, with Patricia Arquette winning an Emmy Award for her portrayal as Dee Dee and Joey King receiving a nomination for her role as Gypsy. There's also an episode of "Dr. Phil," a "Good Morning America" segment, a "20/20" episode, a Lifetime dramatized movie and more.
But even after all that, Gypsy isn't stepping away from the spotlight just yet. From Jan. 5 to 7, a three-part docuseries, "The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard," will air on Lifetime, with each two-hour episode premiering at 8 p.m. ET. Lifetime's website says the series will give "unprecedented access" to Gypsy and share "hidden parts" of her life that have never been revealed, including a deep dive into her childhood, her prison sentence and her marriage.
Gypsy will also be chronicling her life in text, with an e-book set to release on Jan. 9.
According to Penguin Random House, "Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom" is Gypsy's "frank, unflinching, and deeply personal reflection on her past, present, and hoped-for future." The publisher said it will include an exclusive collection of interviews, transcripts and journal entries, plus her own illustrations and photos.
It's available for preorder on multiple websites, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple Books.
Gypsy is also hoping to use her voice in her future, according to TMZ.
The publication said the 32-year-old is planning to take on public speaking as well as advocacy work for child abuse victims — specifically those who were the target of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Per TMZ, Gypsy believes her experience and history can help others going through the same situation feel less hopeless.
But first ... Taylor Swift
Prison walls are no match for the power of Taylor Swift.
While still behind bars last month, Gypsy told TMZ she'd decided on her first public prison outing: the Dec. 31 Kansas City Chiefs game.
Three days after her release, she and Anderson will travel to the far West end of Missouri with the hopes of meeting her idol at Arrowhead Stadium, where Swift has routinely been on game day to watch her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, play.
Gypsy says the singer and her music have long inspired and helped her in navigating her trauma, per TMZ. She also admitted to the publication that she mainly used her prison commissary to buy each new Swift album.
But even though Gypsy knows getting in Swift's KC stadium suite is a long shot, she's hoping her backup option — meeting Swift at her October 2024 New Orleans tour date — fulfills her "Wildest Dreams."
