The new movie The Act tells the story of a girl who orchestrates the murder of her mother, four years ago. It stars Patricia Arquette and Joey King as the young Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Experts say she was a victim of Munchausen by proxy, a form of child abuse. It occurs when the child’s guardians cause the child to experience the same symptoms as their own parents.
Dee Dee Blanchard abused her daughter
The abuse was so severe that Gypsy Rose suffered from a variety of illnesses and eventually turned on her mother in a homicidal rage. This case became infamous after a documentary about it aired on HBO in 2017 and later turned into an Investigation Discovery special titled Gypsy’s Revenge. It also brought attention to the condition known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. This condition results when a caregiver, mainly a parent, applies imaginary illness to a child, usually by proxy.
She forced her to act like she had a chromosomal disorder
When she was young, Gypsy Blanchard was forced to act like she had a faulty chromosome. Her mother, who looked like a loving and protective mother, forced her healthy daughter to act like she was ill. In the end, she was murdered. The murderer, a 23-year-old man from Wisconsin, had a history of mental illness. He visited Gypsy Rose during one of her rare outings and had sex with her. Soon thereafter, they began planning to murder her mother.
During the investigation, the man and Gypsy had been communicating for more than two years. The two had discussed marriage and names for their future children. They also talked about BDSM. Gypsy later claimed that she was uncomfortable with Nicholas’s eroticism, but he persuaded her to agree.
Despite Gypsy’s condition, her father and family were still denying her a chromosomal disorder. She had no medical problems when found, was not carrying her mother’s medications, and was living with a secret boyfriend who was six years older than her. They were ignoring Gypsy’s medical condition and her needs so that they could gain sympathy from the neighbors and organizations.
Her boyfriend helped her kill her mother
It’s now clear that Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s boyfriend may have helped her kill her mother. In two televised interviews, Dr. Phil McGraw told the girl she needed to “own up” to her role in her mother’s death. But his tone was softened in the end, and Blanchard eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, had been dating her for about a decade before she killed her mother. They had met in high school and went on trips together. They also had a lot of help from neighbors. As Gypsy grew older, she began to suspect that her mother’s health was not as bad as her mother had claimed.
Godejohn and Gypsy’s text messages show their relationship was unstable. The two talked about having a child together and starting a new life. Godejohn told Gypsy to “take care of herself” the next day or else he’d get “a lot of duct tape.” The two also wrote that they enjoyed killing. Godejohn was later convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
