Nine years ago Gypsy Rose Blanchard was charged with second degree murder for initiating the killing of her mother Clauddine Blanchard. For years, Clauddine and Gypsy were loved by their neighbors in Southwestern Missouri who rooted for Gypsy through her various “health conditions.” Her life seemed somewhat happy to people on the outside, including trips to Disney, prepaid vacations, as well as her own home funded by children’s hospitals.
Gypsy’s mother Clauddine (Dee Dee) created a false narrative that Gypsy suffered from leukemia, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, asthma, hearing and vision impaired, and was to be tube fed. Not only was Gypsy physically abused by her mother when she failed to be obedient, but she was also restricted from being a normal child, causing severe mental trauma.
Gypsy heard from other girls her age about their boyfriends and tales of normal teen activities. She quickly longed to emulate a similar lifestyle, even if that meant she had to rebel. She created an account on a Christian dating site and soon became involved with Nicholas Godejon. Gypsy saw her relationship with Nick as a glimpse of what her life could be without her mother reigns holding her down. The desperation to be a normal teenager without an abusive mother figure fueld Gypsy’s desire to isolate herself from her mothers control.
Gypsy and her boyfriend Nick devised a plan to kill Dee Dee and escape towards Wisconsin where Nick resided. Though Nick was responsible for stabbing Claudine 17 times, some believed that Gypsy manipulated Nick into killing Clauddine. Nick is on the autism spectrum which prosecutors argued might have made him more vulnerable to impulsive decision making. Despite all theories and arguments presented, Nicholas Godejohn was charged with first degree murder and a lifetime sentence in prison. Gypsy’s involvement in the murder did not go unnoticed – on June 15, 2015, she was charged with second degree murder.
After 8 years behind bars, and before that, a life confined to a wheelchair, Gypsy Rose has been making her mark in the social media world since her release from Chillicothe Correctional Center on December 28, 2023. With almost 8 million followers on Instagram, the general public has shown Gypsy an overwhelming amount of support post release. Many are happy to see her experiencing life to the fullest without being forced to live her life entrapped by her mothers grasp.
Throughout prison interviews, it became clear that Gypsy feels a lot of guilt surrounding the death of her mother. As Gypsy stated in a 2019 interview, “She didn’t deserve what happened. If anything, she just deserved to be where I am.” If she could do it all over again, Gypsy says she would have reported her mother to the authorities instead of resorting to murder. “There is always another way.”
