Gypsy Rose Blanchard, whose story has garnered worldwide attention, has shared her perspective on the final moments of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, in her own memoir.
Over the past decade, much speculation has surrounded the events of June 10, 2015, when Gypsy Rose and her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, conspired to end the life of her mother. Dee Dee Blanchard was thought to have Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a condition where she induced various illnesses in Gypsy during her childhood.
In her memoir, “My Time to Stand,” Gypsy reveals that on the night of the murder, she took three Vicodin and retreated to the bathroom, aware that her mother was about to be killed.
Gypsy, now 33, wrote: “I went to the bathroom, sat on the floor and covered my ears. Except I heard. I heard everything.”
“Nick entered the room soundlessly because there was no bedroom door, so when she finally woke up it must have been because he was standing over her, not because of any noise,” she recalled. “She was startled.”
Although she was in the bathroom, Gypsy describes hearing her mother as if her voice was muffled and hearing Dee Dee inquire, “Who are you?”
She continues: “I just heard the screaming and then I lay in the fetal position with my hands pressed hard over my ears. But I could still hear things.”
Gypsy recounts a momentary pause in the stabbing and believes she heard her mother gurgle “Gypsy. Gypsy,” suggesting Dee Dee may have had blood in her mouth.
Instead of intervening, Gypsy recalls remaining still and focusing on her breathing. “There weren’t thoughts going through my head at all,” she wrote. “It was like I was locked inside a cloud, with the out-of-reach Earth spinning below me.
“Nothing was real. I was a simulation, as I focused on taking my next breath, and the next. And then I heard one sharp, ‘Help me!’.”
Gypsy further explains that after the murder, Nicholas forced her to assist in cleaning him up before he assaulted her.
The two then fled, leaving Dee Dee’s body behind with multiple stab wounds. They also stole over $4,400 before fleeing to a motel.
Both were arrested and charged shortly after the incident. Gypsy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Nicholas received a life sentence without parole, in addition to 25 years for armed criminal action.
Gypsy was released on parole on December 28, 2023, after serving eight years, and has since appeared in the documentary “Gypsy-Rose: Life After Lock Up.”
A drama series titled “The Act” was also created based on the murder, and Gypsy Rose has since expressed her desire to share her story in her own words.
Following her release, Gypsy’s life has seen significant changes. She filed for divorce from her husband Ryan Anderson and rekindled her relationship with her ex-fiancé Ken Urker, with whom she is now expecting a child.