Gypsy Rose Blanchard Defends Herself: ‘I Don’t Identify as a Murderer’

Since her release from prison, Gypsy Rose Blanchard's life has dramatically changed. Throughout much of her childhood and teenage years, Gypsy endured medical abuse from her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. Gypsy became infamous for her involvement in her mother's murder. Dee Dee manipulated Gypsy and others into believing she suffered from a range of severe illnesses, including leukemia, muscular dystrophy, and developmental issues.

This abuse, known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, led Dee Dee to subject Gypsy to unnecessary surgeries and medications. Gypsy eventually realized she wasn’t as sick as her mother claimed. Desperate to escape the abuse, Gypsy confided in her online boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, whom she met in 2012. In June 2015, Gypsy and Nicholas planned and carried out Dee Dee’s murder. Although Gypsy was convicted for her role in the crime, she does not view herself as a murderer.

After the murder, Gypsy and Nick fled but were eventually apprehended by law enforcement. During the trial, Gypsy accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for second-degree murder. Nicholas, who carried out the killing, received a life sentence. The case became the subject of documentaries, including HBO's Mommy Dead and Dearest, and the Hulu miniseries The Act, which brought Gypsy’s story to a wider audience. However, Gypsy does not identify as a murderer.

“I don't associate myself as a murderer,” Gypsy proclaimed during an appearance on The Viall Files podcast. "If you think about it, yes, I had a part to play in it," she continued. "I asked Nick for help, but he's the one that did the actual kill. Not me. So when they say I'm a murderer, I don't identify as that.”

Gypsy later clarifies her statement, emphasizing that she was not trying to absolve herself of any responsibility. Instead, Gypsy suggests that she does not want to be wholly defined by the violent act. “I said I didn't identify as the 'M' word, which we all know what the 'M' word is,” Gypsy said in a since-deleted TikTok (per Yahoo). Adding, “It's not like I'm going to go to a job interview and be like, 'Hi, my name is Gypsy Blanchard. I'm an 'M' word.' That's not what I meant by it,” she continued.”

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is now a free woman, building a life of her own. She was released in December 2023 after completing 85 percent of her prison sentence. A few years before her release, she married Ryan Anderson, whom she met through a prison pen pal program. However, their relationship ended shortly after her release, and she is now dating Ken Urker.

Gypsy dated Ken before marrying Ryan. Like Ryan, Ken connected with Gypsy through a pen pal program, but their first attempt at a relationship was short-lived. After her release and breakup with Ryan, Gypsy reunited with Ken, and they are now expecting their first child together.