When a prisoner leaves the carceral system, questions associated to their stability and assist are paramount: Can they discover regular work? Can they safe sufficient housing? Can they reintegrate themselves right into a constructive social atmosphere?
How shortly and the way properly parolees and freed inmates can reply these questions performs an enormous function in shaping their future. But only a few former prisoners have ever needed to face these challenges whereas additionally enduring the extent of public scrutiny now affixed to Gypsy-Rose Anderson, née Blanchard. (Sometimes often known as Gypsy Blanchard, she’s not too long ago legally hyphenated her surname and up to date the styling of “Gypsy-Rose.” )
The story of Blanchard-Anderson, her mom Dee Dee, and the disturbing occasions that finally culminated in Dee Dee’s homicide in 2015, has been instructed and retold throughout the media panorama, most notably in a 2016 BuzzFeed article, a 2017 HBO docuseries, and a fictionalized 2019 Hulu drama, The Act. However Gypsy has acquired maybe her largest stage ever within the wake of her December 29 launch. She has trended throughout social media, performed high-profile interviews, and celebrated along with her now-famous jail pen pal turned husband, Ryan Anderson. She’s additionally been selling an upcoming Lifetime docuseries filmed whereas she was in jail. All through all of it, she’s been upbeat, charming, and even inspiring.
Nonetheless her current media appearances would possibly body her, we shouldn’t assume that Blanchard-Anderson will naturally step into the function of public determine.
Anderson, now 32, was 24 when she was sentenced to 10 years for her half within the brutal homicide of her mom, Dee Dee Blanchard. She finally served simply eight years. Her mild jail time was primarily on account of an enormous mitigating issue: the lifetime of horrific, weird abuse to which Dee Dee had subjected her. From Gypsy’s childhood, Dee Dee had insisted her daughter had muscular dystrophy in addition to different debilitating illnesses that required her to continuously use a wheelchair and a feeding tube, and endure a sequence of harmful, painful, and pointless surgical procedures. (Though Dee Dee Blanchard was by no means formally recognized with Münchausen syndrome by proxy, it’s extensively understood she more than likely had the dysfunction; this was the true crime case that introduced the syndrome to the general public’s consideration.)
With a view to additional the fantasy and swindle supporters and profit companies out of funds, Dee Dee infantilized Gypsy, mendacity about her age and claiming she was developmentally disabled and had the thoughts of a small youngster. Gypsy acquired solely a second-grade schooling and continued to carry out the function of a really younger lady properly previous puberty. Although her mom restricted her entry to the skin world, Gypsy sought connections on-line, the place she met 23-year-old Nicholas Godejohn, who turned her secret boyfriend. Gypsy was then 22, however she spoke and acted like a lady in her early teenagers. Though she was legally an grownup, her mom had gained energy of lawyer over her; she managed practically each facet of Gypsy’s life and infrequently allowed her to depart the home.
Compounding all of this, Gypsy has additionally alleged sexual abuse by the hands of her grandfather, who hasn’t explicitly denied it. He additionally allegedly sexually abused Dee Dee, which paints an image of the function household dysfunction and generational trauma have performed on this tragic case. It’s little marvel, then, that Gypsy regarded for a manner out. For her, this meant convincing Godejohn that murdering her mom was the one manner she may ever actually be free. Godejohn is now serving a life sentence with out parole for his function within the crime.
In some ways, it’s a aid to observe Blanchard-Anderson as she performs this press tour: She seems to be wholesome, and her voice, lengthy that of an eerie youngster’s, extra intently matches her actual age. She largely appears unscathed from her time in jail, and she or he definitely appears to have loads of assist.
But it’s additionally arduous to know what to make of the general public frenzy and the media circus surrounding her. She’s been in contrast to the wrongfully convicted true crime movie star Amanda Knox, however Knox got here from a steady middle-class household — she was by no means making an attempt to flee her life. Some have in contrast her to George Santos, however in contrast to Santos, Blanchard-Anderson’s persona was by no means hers to regulate.
Of all of the current comparisons, essentially the most apt could also be that of Britney Spears and the combat to finish her lengthy conservatorship. Whereas Britney’s story doesn’t contain committing acts of violence, there are a placing variety of parallels between the 2 ladies’s lives. Each struggled for years to interrupt freed from controlling dad and mom and extraordinarily dysfunctional households, in addition to from a authorized (and, in Gypsy’s case, medical) system that not solely totally failed to acknowledge the hazard they have been in, however actively contributed to their victimization. Each ladies discovered new followers among the many public as their plights turned identified, and have become causes célèbre within the street to their final launch.
Britney was a Disney youngster star; younger Gypsy carried out for her supporters, who donated to fundraisers for her pretend medical payments. Every of them was manipulated into changing into an entertainer early in life. Each have been robbed of their childhoods, left with little to no company over their very own lives and even their very own personalities. Subsequently, the place most adults can be settling into the center phases of their lives, Britney and Gypsy have needed to start with the very fundamentals of constructing their identities for themselves. And each ladies will now must navigate that delicate path beneath the watchful eyes of tens of millions.
There’s an inherent performativity as properly to this post-prisoner life for each ladies: Britney has been tasked with setting the distorted, poisonous report of her personal life straight, whereas Gypsy has been tasked with speaking her personal profitable rehabilitation. At a fundamental degree, it is because that’s what parolees must do, however the public’s zeal for reclaiming her — even to the purpose of forgetting there was an precise homicide concerned — takes Gypsy’s mea culpa tour to new heights. Her followers have been eagerly awaiting her launch because it was first introduced in September 2023; anticipation is excessive for no matter she does subsequent. A sure ominous glee mingles with that pleasure, a sort of salacious, prurient curiosity in watching her succeed or fail. Once more, it’s unattainable to not consider Britney and the nonstop public scrutiny that adopted her at each the height of her profession and the top of her conservatorship.
It’s tough to ponder Blanchard-Anderson, the budding media character, with out remembering the traumatized lady who solely gained the general public’s consideration after resorting to an unthinkable act in response to a lifetime of unthinkable abuse. We could also be excited for Gypsy-Rose, however we shouldn’t assume we all know who she is. Like Britney, who has had her share of ups and downs since her conservatorship lastly ended, Gypsy has to completely reinvent herself. That’s a frightening prospect if she additionally has to ceaselessly cease and provides one other interview to Individuals journal.
We shouldn’t assume, both, that her story suits into acquainted tropes. As one other inadvertent true crime movie star, Vili Fualaau, not too long ago instructed the Hollywood Reporter, these tales usually aren’t as black and white because the media likes to color them. Blanchard-Anderson was completely a sufferer, however arguably to a point so was Godejohn; it’s a lot tougher to valorize the particular person holding the homicide weapon than the one who urged them to make use of it, however each, in the long run, are culpable. There are components of Blanchard-Anderson’s story that may by no means match neatly into the type of actuality TV survival narrative that the media at present appears anxious to put her inside.
It’s not clear, both, whether or not any of this publicity can be useful to her in any respect, even when she’s besotted with fame. The reply might not be so simple as “Depart Gypsy alone,” however turning her into some type of Chicago-esque movie star murderess in all probability isn’t the way in which ahead both.
So what if we get a Gypsy-Rose season of Dancing With the Stars? She might need enjoyable — together with the viewers, certain — however would that finally help her restoration? There’s a trepidation in watching this redemption arc up shut, particularly while you’re undecided you’re imagined to be watching in any respect.
