Gypsy Rose Blanchard, The Inspiration Behind Hulu’s ‘The Act,’ Granted An Earlier Release From Prison 

Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the inspiration for Hulu‘s crime drama The Act, is now being released from prison in December, a little under three years earlier than her original sentence dictated, Entertainment Tonight reports.

According to People, Gypsy pleaded guilty in 2016 to killing her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, who had been found dead in June 2015. Gypsy’s boyfriend whom she’d met online, Nick Godejohn, had joined forces with her to hatch a plan to murder Dee Dee. He was sentenced to life in prison two years later for the murder, while Gypsy received a 10-year prison sentence.

Dee Dee had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, lying to Gypsy and convincing her that she required a wheelchair and suffered from various illnesses, including leukemia. As mentioned in the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, she took Gypsy on over 100 hospital visits to Children’s Mercy Hospital, all of which involved fabricated health records and false information.

While in prison, Gypsy married Ryan Scott Anderson, per ET. According to their marriage license obtained by the outlet, Anderson is from Lake Charles, Louisiana.

According to Springfield-News Leader, Gypsy previously said in an interview, “I feel like I’m more free in prison than living with my mom. Because now, I’m allowed to just live like a normal woman.”

She had also written a letter to the outlet in 2021 seeking a release in 2023, and mentioned that she was working on a book to further tell her story.

In Hulu’s biographical drama, Joey King starred as Gypsy while Patricia Arquette played Dee Dee. Arquette’s portrayal of Dee Dee earned her an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

The Act is streaming on Hulu. Gypsy’s 2018 interview with 20/20 is also available on Hulu.