31 December 2023 , 22:35
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard has broken her silence in her first TikTok clip since being released from prison over the killing of her mum - telling supporters she is "finally free".
The 32-year-old, who spent eight years behind bars for the part she played in the murder of Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, said it was “nice to be home” in Louisiana during the short video. She also thanked well-wishers for their messages on social media and shared plugs for her upcoming documentary series and book while enjoying the “beautiful" weather.
Gypsy said: “Hey everyone, this is Gypsy, I’m finally free. I just want to send a quick video to thank everyone for the massive amount of support that I’ve been getting on social media. Everyone has been really, really nice and supportive. I really appreciate that. It’s nice to be home. I’m back home in Louisiana. I’m enjoying a beautiful day outside. And I’ve got a lot of really great things happening really soon.”
READ MORE: Gypsy Rose Blanchard won't meet Taylor Swift at football game as she's 'booted from state'
Gypsy is now back home in Louisiana (@gypsyroseblanchard727/TikTok)
She shared a beaming selfie after being released from prison early (instagram/@gypsyrose_a_blanchard)Gypsy persuaded an online boyfriend to kill her mum Dee Dee after she had forced her to pretend for years that she was suffering from leukaemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses.
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Her case sparked national tabloid interest after reports emerged that her mum, who was slain in 2015, had essentially kept her daughter prisoner, forcing her to use a wheelchair and feeding tube.
It turned out that Gypsy Blanchard was perfectly healthy and not developmentally delayed as her friends had always believed. Her mother had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children, said her trial attorney Michael Stanfield.
He said: “People were constantly telling Dee Dee what a wonderful mother she was, and Dee Dee was getting all of this attention."
Through the ruse, the mother and daughter met country star Miranda Lambert and received charitable donations, a trip to Disney World and even a home near Springfield from Habitat for Humanity.
Gypsy was forced to pretend she had numerous illnesses while living with her mum (Crime+Investigation)Stanfield said Gypsy Blanchard’s mother was able to dupe doctors by telling them her daughter’s medical records had been lost in Hurricane Katrina. If they asked too many questions, she just found a new physician, shaving the girl’s head to back up her story. Among the unnecessary procedures Gypsy Blanchard underwent was the removal of her salivary glands. Her mother convinced doctors it was necessary by using topical anaesthetic to cause drooling.
Gypsy later said she had 'talked' her boyfriend into murdering her mum (Crime+Investigation)Gypsy Blanchard, who had little schooling or contact with anyone but her mother, also was misled, especially when she was younger, Stanfield said. “The doctors seem to confirm everything that you’re being told. The outside world is telling you that your mother is a wonderful, loving, caring person. What other idea can you have?” he added.
Gypsy was in prison for eight years - before recently being releasedBut then the abuse became more physical, Stanfield said. Gypsy testified that her mother beat her and chained her to a bed. Slowly, Gypsy also was beginning to understand that she wasn’t as sick as her mom said. “I wanted to be free of her hold on me,” Gypsy testified at the 2018 trial of her former boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn of Big Bend, Wisconsin, who is serving a life sentence in the killing. She went on to add: “I talked him into it.”
Nick Godejohn and Gypsy BlanchardBlanchard was released early in the day from the Chillicothe Correctional Center, said Karen Pojmann, a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Corrections. Blanchard was granted parole after serving 85 per cent of her original sentence, Ms Pojmann said.
During her time in prison, Gypsy gained a number of fans. Under one of her pictures people voiced their support including Jennifer Turpin, who escaped parental abuse in 2018, who said: "Awesome! Looking fab!"