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Gypsy Rose Blanchard is ready for the world to hear her side of the story.
Over the course of 18 months, Blanchard was interviewed in prison for the Lifetime documentary. The prison confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, which premieres Friday at 8 pm. (The six-episode series airs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in two-episode installments.)
The doc features several revelations that Blanchard hasn’t shared with many, if any, others up to this point, many of which will surprise viewers (no spoilers here).
While her story has been told numerous times in the news, in an HBO documentary, and even in script form (the Hulu show The act), plus a prison interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, this is the first time he has spoken in such detail about the events leading up to his mother’s murder. She also gives viewers insight into her time in prison, her marriage to Ryan Anderson (they met and married while she was in prison), and her regret for the actions that led to her his prison sentence.
For those who don’t know, Blanchard was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2016 after pleading guilty to persuading Nicholas Godejohn, a boyfriend she met online, to kill her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who had forced her to pretend for years he suffered from serious illnesses, including leukemia and muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses. She was paroled from Missouri’s Chillicothe Correctional Facility on Dec. 28 after serving 85 percent of her original sentence.
“I had the opportunity to analyze everything that happened to me and now I can finally tell the whole story with my words,” he says in the document.
Before its premiere, Blanchard spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about why he wanted to open up so honestly, what he’s been up to since his release, and what his advice would be for others in his previous situation.
Congratulations on your parole. What have you been doing since your release?
Honestly, I’ve been spending my time reconnecting with my dad (Rod Blanchard) and my stepmom, Kristy, and really spending time with my husband. Now we are back in Louisiana and adjusting to married life. I definitely had to look through his closet and put my clothes on the rack and integrate into his life now. I’m making this my home.
You say in the Lifetime documentary that the first thing you wanted to do when you were released was hug your family for 10 minutes. Were you able to have that special moment with them?
I did. It was the most beautiful moment. I think I hugged each person for 10 minutes.
You share many revelations in this documentary that no one knew about, including your own family. What made you want to open up in such an honest way?
I think the main reason I held back this whole time, and am now moving forward, is because I simply wasn’t emotionally ready at the time. There are a lot of things to unpack in my life, more than just with my mother. And I think at the time of doing my previous interviews, everything was so surrounded around my mother and me. So I think I’m getting to a place now where I might have more confidence to open up a little bit more and I feel like I’m in a safe enough space to (open up). That’s why I’m so honest in this documentary.
Do you know other documentaries and series, such as The act, Did that tell you the story? Have you seen them and felt like this Lifetime documentary was a chance to right any wrongs?
I haven’t actually seen anything, like the documentaries or The act. I haven’t seen that, so I don’t know what’s inaccurate about those versions of things. I’m just getting into this, sharing all my truth. And I guess people can figure that out if they correct those inaccuracies themselves by watching this documentary series. So I just come out and share my story and the whole truth. This is how I’m doing it.
In the document, you talk about the importance of therapy. Do you feel like this was a form of therapy?
I think in a sense it was because you’re talking about it, you’re spreading it. You know, there were times when I felt emotions I wasn’t expecting. So, yes, I think opening up in interviews is a form of therapy in itself.
The producers also reveal things to you that you didn’t know your mom had told your doctors, including the lie that you were afraid to eat, which resulted in the insertion of the feeding tube. Do you still feel like there’s a lot you don’t know about what she told people?
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. There is a lot to unpack in my life and I only know my perspective. So when I talk to my family, I constantly learn new revelations from them that I had no idea about. So it’s like I have my version of my life and then everyone else has their own version of things. So I’m piecing things together as I go.
In the doc, a doctor you met calls your mother a “psychopath.” Do you think that’s an accurate assessment of her or do you think that’s a little harsh?
I actually didn’t know. So you just told me something. I didn’t know. I don’t think that’s an accurate description. I know she suffered from mental health issues, but I’m not even close to getting a PhD. know what the definitions of psychopath are. But in that sense, the way she is used in a common and insulting way, (that is) absolutely not (true). She was a very sick lady who had a lot of mental health issues and would have needed medication. She would have needed mental health therapy and she was not being treated. So I think that was the problem with my mom, I don’t think she was a devious person. I just think she would have needed a lot of therapy and mental health help.
You say that you were a “people pleaser” when you went to prison, and that if you had not been imprisoned you would not have been prepared for what came next. What do you think was the biggest change in you during your time in prison?
Honestly, I think of maturity because I wasn’t allowed to have those experiences that form maturity. So now in prison I was able to have those experiences and grow from them. I’m the type of person who makes a mistake, learns from it and moves on, and I hope I never make it again. So I definitely think that level of maturity kicked in and you can see the transformation from when I first went into prison to when I came out of prison and felt, as a confident woman, that I could hold my own, let’s say. No, when I need it, be my best defender. That’s the journey I went through in prison, being my own best advocate.
Whats Next? Where do you go from here?
Well, right now I’m trying to take it day by day, trying to really be present in the moment and enjoy the time I have because everyone says, if you blink, your life is over. So I’m enjoying, for the last 8.5 years, I’ve been excited about this new life and ready to go. For me, every day is a day-by-day process.
Do you have Hollywood ambitions? What happens if, say, the dancing with the stars Are the producers calling?
No, no, I can’t dance (laughs). I’m not the best person with rhythm, but you never know. Sometimes opportunities arise and it depends if I want to take advantage of them or not. So, I’m taking it day by day and we’ll see, whatever opportunities come up, we’ll see if I want to keep going.
I saw you’re a Taylor Swift fan. What is your favorite song of hers? Are there any that resonate more?
Yes, I’m a Swiftie. All of her songs are really, really good. I really like the song “Eyes Open” and I’m really digging “Karma” right now. “Karma” has been what I have been playing a lot on my playlist. So I’m dedicating myself to that.
On a more serious note, what do you want to say to victims of abuse or those suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy? Is there a message you would like to share?
Absolutely. I guess I would just like to share that you are not alone. Someone will listen to you. If you have a friend, even a friend, or even if you just walk up to someone at the grocery store and say, “Listen, I think I’m in a bad situation right now and I could use some help. Can you help me?” That’s what I wish I had done. I’m sorry for how things turned out for me. I’m sorry for the decisions I made and I wish someone had given me that kind of message before I did what I did.