'The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard': 8 shocking revelations in Lifetime's new docuseries
'The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard': Story of a woman finally tasting freedom
'The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard' is a six-episode television series that debuted on January 5, 2024 and includes exclusive interviews with Gypsy before her December 28, 2023, release from prison. Gypsy was incarcerated for eight years due to her involvement in the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. Gypsy was a victim of Munchausen by proxy, a type of abuse where a parent or guardian deliberately causes their child to become unwell to get pity or attention. Gypsy shares startling new revelations about her upbringing along with describing the many sorts of abuse she experienced through a series of interviews done over 18 months.
Gypsy attempted to flee when she was 19
Gypsy remembers her first relationship with a man named Dan at the end of Episode 2. She thought she was 15 at the time, but when she located her Medicaid card, it showed that she was officially 19. Gypsy planned to flee with Dan after realizing this new information, and he assured her that he would take care of her. Gypsy remembers how she stole money and painkillers from her mother and left a note for her, stating that she was 19 and wanted to be "an independent woman".
Gypsy's best memory of her life is the day she was sent to prison
Gypsy calls her time in prison the happiest memory of her life and claims that it was the first time she felt free after being so restricted by her mother. "Since my incarceration, I am finally free to build relationships and friendships," she declares. When asked about her first day in prison, she says, "It’s such a good memory."
Gypsy battled drug addiction in the past
Gypsy admits that she's "never told anyone about this before," but she struggles with a painkiller addiction that she first developed when she was 16. She describes it as "like an escape from my reality". She continues by saying that she used drugs like suboxone, a narcotic used to treat opiate addiction, to cope throughout the first few years of her incarceration. She remembers lying to her stepmother to get money for drugs. "I told her that I accidentally broke this girl’s CD player and if she could please send $50."
Gypsy alleges her grandfather Claude Pitre sexually assaulted her
Gypsy lived with her grandfather Claude Pitre and stepgrandmother Laura for a while when Dee Dee was hospitalized due to a car accident. Gypsy claims that her grandfather assaulted her during this time, telling her that he would "perform sexual acts on [her]" and "make [her] touch him." It happened when she was nine years old. However, her grandfather refuted Gypsy's claims. In a PEOPLE exclusive interview, Gypsy restated her allegations that she was sexually assaulted for about a year by her grandfather.
Dee Dee lied about her age when she met Gypsy’s father Rod
Gypsy's father Rod, who met Dee Dee when he was 17 and still in high school, talks about their relationship in the documentary. Dee Dee told him she was 21 at the time, but in reality, he claims she was 23. Dee Dee told him she was pregnant after three months of dating. Gypsy claims that she thinks her mother's divorce from Rod was her "most devastating failure", and that Gypsy was held responsible for the split by her mother since Gypsy "wasn’t the son that he wanted".
Dee Dee confided to Gypsy that her father Rod was abusive
Gypsy claims that her mother had always been controlling and that she never wanted her to be close to her father. Gypsy's mother told her that Rod had grabbed her by the neck and thrown her across the room, per Gypsy's account of that incident. Gypsy claims that the incident never occurred. Gypsy's father was not involved because he was a "bad man," according to Dee Dee, said a family friend Marsha Smith. She continues, "Obviously, that’s not a true statement."
Dee Dee's family contends she tried to kill her stepmother
Gypsy's cousin Robby Pitre likens Dee Dee's treatment of Gypsy to the movie 'Mommie Dearest' as the family discusses Dee Dee's dark side in the documentary. He claims, "Mommie Dearest was sick but Dee Dee was sicker." He also remembers how Dee Dee was furious when her father remarried, and he says that Dee Dee attempted to poison her stepmother by putting Roundup, a herbicide, in her food. Laura eventually died a "slow, painful death," said Robby, who believes this was caused by the Roundup she was fed.
Gypsy's mother Dee Dee developed a heart murmur as a child
In the documentary series, Dee Dee's brother, Evans Pitre, remembers that his mother considered her to be her "favorite". He also discloses that Dee Dee's mother kept her away from several activities as a child due to a heart issue. He clarifies, "She wouldn’t be able to go play outside." He continues by saying that since Dee Dee "was the sick kid," her upbringing indirectly contributed to her development of Munchausen syndrome.
