Emily Brown
Gypsy Rose Blanchard is set to be released from prison early after spending time behind bars for her role in the murder of her mother.
The Missouri Department of Corrections announced the news about Blanchard's early release on Thursday (28 September), eight years after her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, was found dead in June 2015.
Blanchard and her boyfriend, Nick Godejohn, were both charged with first-degree murder, and the following year Blanchard pleaded guilty to murder for her role in her mother's death.
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After Blanchard and Godejohn were arrested, it emerged that Dee Dee had fabricated medical issues for her daughter, and that Blanchard was a victim of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome; a form of abuse in which a guardian exaggerates or induces illness in a child.
Dee Dee convinced the community that Blanchard was terminally ill, and had the mind of a seven-year-old.
Blanchard, who is now 32, claimed that her mother wouldn't allow her to speak during visits to the doctor, and told her police wouldn't believe her if she ever tried to tell them the truth.
During her ordeal, Blanchard met Godejohn online and 'talked him into' travelling from Wisconsin to see her in Missouri.
In a prison interview for the 2019 Oxygen special, Gypsy Rose & Nick: A Love to Kill, Godejohn said: “From the very beginning, I just knew we were soulmates.
"Those five days when I was actually with her, physically with her, those five days were the most intense, and magical, and awe-inspiring days I’ve ever had.”
Godejohn is believed to have stabbed Dee Dee while Blanchard waited in the bathroom.
Blanchard was ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the killing, but has been granted parole for an early release.
She is now set to be released on 28 December, 2023, after having served 85 percent of her sentence.
The time Blanchard spent in the Greene County Jail prior to her sentencing contributes to her overall sentence.
Blanchard has previously told Dr. Phil McGraw that she didn’t 'believe [she] deserve[d] as many years as [she] got'.
“I believe firmly that, no matter what, murder is not okay," she said. "I do believe that I do deserve to spend some time in prison for that crime. But I also understand why it happened, and I don’t believe that I’m in the right place to get the help that I need.”
Godejohn remains behind bars after being sentenced to life in prison.
Blanchard has previously said that she felt 'more free in prison' than she did while living with her mother.
"Because now, I'm allowed to just live like a normal woman," she explained.
Blanchard's experience and the killing of Dee Dee formed the subject for the HBO documentary Mommy, Dead and Dearest as well as inspiring a Hulu miniseries titled The Act.