
The story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the 27-year-old woman who orchestrated the murder of her mother Dee Dee in 2015 with her online boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn, is one that has captivated – and horrified – the world.
Gypsy’s mother had convinced her from a young age that she was terminally ill, suffering everything from leukaemia to muscular dystrophy and seizures, along with developmental issues meaning she had the mental capacity of a seven-year-old.
None of these were real.
Dee Dee suffered from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, which is now known as ‘factitious disorder imposed on another’ – a condition that makes a guardian exaggerate or invent illness in a child for sympathy.
By age 23, Gypsy Rose had caught on to the fact that she had been living a lie fabricated by her own mother, and as revenge for robbing her of a regular childhood arranged for her to be stabbed to death by Nicholas while she hid nearby by.

The story inspired Hulu series The Act, starring Patricia Arquette.
Watch the trailer for “The Act,” based on the true story of Gypsy Rose. Post continues after video.