What would you do if you found out your whole life was a lie? For Gypsy Rose Blanchard, this question became real when she discovered that her mother had been pretending she was sick, even though she was perfectly healthy.
Gypsy was born in 1991. From the time she was little, her mother, Dee Dee, told everyone that her daughter had serious illnesses like leukaemia and muscular dystrophy. Dee Dee made Gypsy use a wheelchair, shaved her head so she would look like a cancer patient, and even fed her through a tube. To the outside world, they looked like a loving mother caring for her very sick child.
People believed the story. The Make-A-Wish Foundation sent Gypsy on trips to Disney World. Habitat for Humanity built them a house in Missouri with a wheelchair ramp. Neighbours brought food, donations, and praise for Dee Dee’s “sacrifice.”
But none of it was true. Gypsy was healthy. She could walk, eat normally, and live like any other teenager. Her mother had been lying to everyone, and to Gypsy as well.
As Gypsy grew older, she started realising things didn’t add up. Her mother claimed she was only 14 in 2010, but she was actually 19. She began to feel trapped and secretly went online to meet people. That’s when she met Nicholas Godejohn, a man who would change everything.
In 2015, after years of control and lies, Gypsy and Nicholas planned Dee Dee’s murder. Nicholas stabbed Dee Dee while Gypsy waited in another room. They ran away but were caught a few days later.
Gypsy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Nicholas was sentenced to life.
Today, Gypsy says she regrets that her mother’s life ended in such a terrible way, but she also admits she feels freer. For many, her story is a warning about how dangerous lies can become.
