Fresh out of prison, Gypsy Rose Blanchard is now thinking about what her life will look like on the outside. Perhaps the most famous parolee in the world, she intends to use any influence she can wield forever.
“I feel like I’ve been blessed with that ability to possibly create change,” Gypsy told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview shortly before her release. “And that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Early Thursday morning, Gypsy was released from a Missouri prison after serving seven years for the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who was stabbed to death in 2015. Gypsy is widely believed to have been a victim of Munchausen by proxy, a form of child abuse. which involves the caregiver exaggerating or inducing illness to gain sympathy.
Dee Dee, who in her lifetime convinced people her daughter was terminally ill, allegedly subjected Gypsy to painful medical treatments that were never necessary.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, to be released from prison, regrets killing her mother: ‘She didn’t deserve it’ (Exclusive)
Gypsy admitted in 2016 that she killed her mother with Nicholas Godejohn, her boyfriend at the time. Gypsy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was granted parole earlier this year. Godejohn was convicted of first-degree murder in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison without parole, court records show.
Last year, while still in prison, Gypsy married Ryan Scott Anderson, a special education teacher from Louisiana, who picked her up at 3:30 a.m. Thursday when she was released from the Chillicothe Correctional Center.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Courtesy of ABC News
Gypsy’s case attracted national attention, and has since become the subject of numerous documentaries and series. This led her to a level of fame she says she never wanted. Aware that many might describe her as “notorious”, Gypsy insists she’s not looking for fame.
“I was never one of those kids who wanted to be famous,” she tells PEOPLE. “I didn’t want to be a singer. I didn’t want to be an actress. I wanted to be something that would make a difference.”
For more on what Gypsy plans to do after her release, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.
Now, as she embarks on life after prison, she aims to do just that. Gypsy tells PEOPLE that she hopes to build a following on her Instagram and TikTok accounts as she strives to define her platform.
“I feel like I’ve been blessed with the platform and the ability to possibly create change, and that’s what I’m trying to do,” she says.
On her verified Instagram account, which currently has more than 4.7 million followers, her bio states that she “advocates to raise awareness of Munchausen syndrome through intermediaries.”
For more on Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s trip and interview, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands next week.
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“The choice I made to commit murder was never the right choice,” she says. “So my mission now is to take what I did and what [my mom] did and made it worth something. So I think it’s really important for me to raise as much awareness as possible about Munchausen by proxy and really try to focus on mental health.”
Gypsy also plans to release a new e-book titled Published: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom, as well as telling his own story in the new Lifetime documentary series, Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchardpremiering January 5th at 8pm Eastern.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education