WASHINGTON — Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a Missouri woman who conspired to kill her mother after being forced to pretend for years she was disabled, is scheduled to be released from prison this week.
Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2015 death of her mother, 48-year-old Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard, who forced her daughter to undergo unnecessary medical procedures as part of a fraud scheme.
The case led to documentaries and was chronicled in the 2019 Hulu miniseries, "The Act," starring Joey King as Gypsy Rose and Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee. The show won an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
Gypsy Blanchard's then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, was convicted in 2018 of stabbing her mom to death. Gypsy Blanchard testified at his trial that she talked him into coming from his home in Wisconsin to Springfield, Missouri, to commit the killing because she thought that was the only way out.
Godejohn was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. He continues to fight for a new trial. According to the Springfield News-Leader, his new public defender filed another appeal this month on the basis of ineffective counsel.
When will Gypsy Rose Blanchard be released?
Gypsy Rose Blanchard will be released on parole Dec. 28 after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence.
An ebook from Blanchard, titled "Released, Conversations on the eve of freedom," is scheduled to come out Jan. 9.
The ebook is described as "Gypsy’s frank, unflinching, and deeply personal reflection on her past, present, and hoped-for future."
"While incarcerated for her role in her mother’s death, Gypsy saw her story told by others again and again in the media, from news reports and podcasts to TV series like The Act (Hulu). Now, granted early parole and preparing to start a new life, she’s free to speak directly to her supporters and the world," the description states.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
