Every show and movie that's told Gypsy Rose Blanchard's story — and what she's said about them
The story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard-Anderson and her mother Dee Dee has been portrayed in multiple shows and TV movies.
Hulu's "The Act," starring Joey King as Gypsy Rose, might be the most famous.
Here's a roundup of every show and movie that's told Blanchard-Anderson's story.
The murder of Dee Dee Blanchard, seemingly a single mother trying to take care of her terminally-ill daughter Gypsy Rose Blanchard-Anderson, shocked the nation after it was revealed that Blanchard-Anderson (and her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn) might have played a part in her death.
In the years since the crime, and while Blanchard-Anderson was serving out her prison sentence for the murder, multiple TV shows and movies have portrayed both fictionalized and documentary-style accounts of Blanchard-Anderson's story. And in some cases, Blanchard-Anderson herself has either participated in or shared her opinion on these projects. (She still hasn't seen Hulu's "The Act," by the way.)
Here's every show and movie that's told Blanchard-Anderson's story — and what she's said about each of them.
1. "The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard" (Lifetime)
"The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard" is a six-episode Lifetime docuseries that prominently features interviews with Blanchard-Anderson during her time in prison. In addition, the show also includes interviews with members of her family, including her father Rod Blanchard and stepmother Kristy Blanchard.
Melissa Moore, a co-author of Blanchard-Anderson's ebook "Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom," executive produces.
"I think now I'm coming to a place where I could be more confident to open up a little bit more and feel like I'm in a safe space enough to [open up]," Blanchard-Anderson told The Hollywood Reporter of the series. "That's why I'm so candid in this documentary."
2. "Mommy Dead and Dearest" (HBO)
"Mommy Dead and Dearest" is a 2017 HBO documentary that focuses on Dee Dee Blanchard's murder, and the history of abuse that preceded it.
The documentary was directed by Erin Lee Car, who also directed the HBO documentary "Thought Crimes; The Case of the Cannibal Cop."
Blanchard-Anderson said that her first fiancé, Ken, wrote to her in prison after watching the film, and reflected on it in her ebook.
"There had been short documentaries, like HBO's 'Mommy Dead and Dearest,' which I had appeared in; news articles, podcasts, sleezy clickbait," she wrote. "These were snippets of my story that entertained people for the short term, but didn't impact them."
3. "The Act" (Hulu)
Hulu's drama series stars Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee Blanchard, and Joey King as Blanchard-Anderson. Chloe Sevigny and Anna-Sophia Robb also appear in the series as the Blanchards' concerned neighbors, who don't appear to have real-life counterparts.
The series portrays the events of Blanchard-Anderson and her mother's lives right up until, and immediately after, the murder, including Blanchard-Anderson's intense romance with Nicholas Godejohn.
Blanchard-Anderson wrote in her ebook "Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom" that she still hasn't seen "The Act," which aired while she was still in prison. Furthermore, she wrote that the show's release negatively affected her life in prison, bringing increased attention from corrections officers, inmates, and members of the public who sent her emails. Per Blanchard-Anderson, this notoriety even caused her first engagement to end.
"I was not consulted or compensated for a show that made actor Joey King a household name," Blanchard-Anderson wrote in the book.
However, in an interview with Access Hollywood shortly after her release, the author revealed that she had no ill-will towards King.
"I'm sure that Joey King did an amazing job playing me. I actually heard an audio clip of her doing my voice, and I think she got it spot-on," Blanchard-Anderson said.
Blanchard-Anderson revealed in the same interview that she would love for Millie Bobby Brown to play her in a future project about her life.
4. "Gypsy’s Revenge" (Investigation Discovery/Hulu)
Documentary film "Gypsy's Revenge" follows the aftermath of the murder, from the moment a strangely explicit message was posted on her Facebook page and raised alarm bells for friends and neighbors.
Through the course of the film, viewers come to learn more about Blanchard-Anderson's life with her mother, and the abuse she suffered. "Gypsy's Revenge" uses archival footage, including past interviews with the mother and daughter, to piece together the story.
Blanchard-Anderson didn't mention the documentary film by name in her e-book.
5. "Love You To Death" (Lifetime)
This Lifetime drama is heavily inspired by Blanchard's real-life murder and Blanchard-Anderson's abuse, although the film uses different names for its characters. Marcia Gay Harden plays the Dee Dee-inspired character Camile, a single mother caring for her seemingly-terminally-ill daughter Esme.
Blanchard-Anderson doesn't appear to have discussed the Lifetime film in her e-book or otherwise, but the author noted in "Released" that she doesn't take her increased media exposure lightly.
"I'm going to stay steady on the path I'm on. Make the exposure count toward a bigger, more serious career. A career in advocacy. In awareness. In positive change," Blanchard-Anderson wrote.
She continued: "My nightmares are being replaced with aspirational daydreams of starting my own organization, spreading knowledge and awareness about Munchausen by proxy, and mentoring others who have experienced trauma and abuse."
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