Gypsy Rose Blanchard.Photo:Good Morning America/X
Good Morning America/X
Gypsy Rose Blanchardis opening up about her addiction to painkillers and the factor it had in her decision to kill her mother,Dee Dee Blanchard.
In an interview with ABC News’Deborah Robertsthat aired onGood Morning AmericaFriday, Gypsy revealed that she’s sober now, but wasn’t when she and then-boyfriendNicholas “Nick” Godejohnplotted Dee Dee’s murder.
“This is really hard to talk about because it took me down a really dark path,” the 32-year-old parolee told the20/20anchor when asked about her painkiller addiction. “But I felt like it was my only way to cope for a time.”
Deborah Roberts interviews Gypsy Rose Blanchard.ABC/Michael Le Brecht II
ABC/Michael Le Brecht II
Gypsy went on note that while she was high when she decided to kill her mother — who had convinced people in her life that her daughter was terminally ill and is believed to have subjected Gypsy to painful unnecessary medical treatments — she still takes responsibility for her actions.
“I don’t blame drugs, I don’t blame anything. I don’t make excuses,” said Gypsy. She toldGMAtoo: “I don’t believe my mother is a monster. She had a lot of demons. I didn’t want her dead, I just wanted out of my situation, and I thought that was the only way out.”
Gypsy was released from prison Dec. 28, having been granted parole eight years after pleading guilty to the murder of her mother. It was during her prison stay that she was able to kick her addiction. “Now, I’m sober,” Gypsy said to Roberts. “I haven’t used in four years, and I don’t feel the need to.”
Since her release from prison, Gypsy has been sharing glimpses into her life outside of bars on social media, including her romance with husbandRyan Scott Anderson, a special education teacher from Louisiana whom she met and wed in 2022 while serving her time.
“It is I had to kiss a couple of frogs to get to this one,” she said in herGMAinterview, while sitting with Anderson. “We’ve talked about starting a family, we just don’t know when at this point. Our lives are pretty hectic right now.”
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her husband.ABC/Michael Le Brecht II
Her story has captivated the public eye, spurring both award-winning scripted miniseries in 2019,The Act, and a 2017 documentary,Mommy Dead and Dearest.A new documentary series premiering tonight on Lifetime,The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchardfeatures Gypsy telling the story of her life and the abuse she faced, leading up to killing her mother and her subsequent prison sentence.
Asked about the attention her story has garnered, she told Roberts she has mixed feelings on the matter. “Of course I feel conflicted. Fame is not what I’m looking for,” she said. “I always said, I think I’m infamous, and then I came out famous.”
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“Honestly, I’m a very shy person,” she added. “[But] I don’t think I’m doing anything anyone else wouldn’t do. I’m being myself.”
She noted that she shares her story “to be a cautionary tale so that the next person who might be in a situation like mine, they don’t take the route that I did.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Dee Dee Blanchard.Courtesy Blanchard Family
Courtesy Blanchard Family
Gypsy pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 10 years and prison and was granted parole this year. Godejohn was convicted of first-degree murder in 2019 and sentenced to life without parole, according to court records.
In herGMAinterview, Gypsy addressed her feelings around her freedom and Godejohn’s life sentence. “I’m sure that we both have a lot of regrets,” she said. “All I can really say is I did my time, he’s doing his time for his part, and I wish him well on his journey.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard.ABC/Michael Le Brecht II
Looking at a picture of herself as a child, Gypsy noted how far she’s come from that time. “I don’t even associate with that little girl anymore,” she said. “I don’t [recognize her]. I know that it’s me but at the same time, it isn’t me anymore.”
Discussing her release and life now, Gypsy said, “You don’t realize how much you’re restricted in prison. I feel like I was in a black and white world and I just stepped into technicolor. It was amazing. "
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
More of Roberts' interview with Gypsy Rose Blanchard will air on ABC’s 20/20 Friday (9 p.m. ET) on ABC.
source: people.com
