Inside Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Relationship With Her Father

Gypsy Rose Blanchard made headlines in 2015 after she and her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, plotted to kill her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. The case was unusual, as it was discovered that Dee Dee had been using her daughter for years to gain sympathy from others. Medical experts believe that Dee Dee had a mental disorder called Munchausen syndrome by proxy. According to WebMD, it is a rare disorder wherein the caretaker fakes or exaggerates symptoms or illnesses of a person they care for in order to get attention and sympathy. Dee Dee had been claiming that Gypsy Rose suffered from a litany of illnesses since she was an infant, and she kept up the lies for two decades.

As noted by ATI, Dee Dee confined Gypsy Rose to a wheelchair and had her undergo several surgeries. When Gypsy Rose was a teenager, she suspected that her mother's claims were untrue. She wanted to run away from Dee Dee, and she got the chance when she met Godejohn online in 2012 when she was 21 years old. Gypsy Rose confided in Godejohn and together they planned to kill Dee Dee. In 2015, Godejohn entered the Blanchard home and stabbed Dee Dee to death while she slept. Gypsy Rose and Godejohn then fled to Wisconsin where he lived, and they were apprehended just a few days after the murder.

Several TV shows and reports have been released since the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard, but one question many ask is where Gypsy Rose's father, Rod Blanchard, was while she was growing up. According to BuzzFeed News, Dee Dee claimed that Gypsy's father was an alcoholic and drug user. She also told friends that Gypsy Rose's father mocked her disabilities and never sent monetary support. After Dee Dee's murder, however, the truth was revealed.

Rod met 24-year-old Dee Dee while he was 17 years old and still in high school. They had been dating for a few months when she became pregnant. According to Rod, he thought the best course of action to take was to marry Dee Dee. However, he said that he later realized that he didn't love her, and they divorced. Rod said that Gypsy was born a healthy baby, but Dee Dee claimed she had sleep apnea when she was just 3 months old. As reported by the Springfield News-Leader, more and more health issues arose as time went by, which made Rod suspicious. That was when Dee Dee decided to move from Louisiana to Springfield with Gypsy, most likely to prevent Rod and their families from knowing the truth.

Rod Blanchard eventually got married to a woman named Kristy and had their own children. However, Rod made it a point to be in contact with Gypsy Rose despite the distance. As reported by BuzzFeed News, Rod and Kristy visited Gypsy Rose often until she was 10 years old, and they have photos of their happy moments together. Rod said that Dee Dee always kept him in the loop about his daughter's medical conditions, but as Gypsy Rose grew older, it got more difficult for Rod to visit her.

Rod stated that he and Kristy often talked to Gypsy Rose, but when they made plans to visit her, they never pushed forward for one reason or another. They claimed Dee Dee would stop responding to messages leading up to the visit and would later say that Gypsy Rose had been hospitalized. Furthermore, Rod revealed that he consistently sent $1,200 in child support, as well as gifts for his daughter. And he continued sending money even after Gypsy Rose turned 18. "There was never a question whether or not I was going to stop paying," he stated.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard's lawyer presented her medical records as evidence of the abuse she suffered for years and was able to secure a plea deal. In 2016, Gypsy Rose pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with the possibility of parole (via Biography). Nicholas Godejohn, on the other hand, was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life. In an interview with Fox News, Rod Blanchard said that Dee Dee was manipulative and as for her murder, he said, "I think she asked for what she got."

According to Rod, his relationship with his daughter is better than ever despite her being in prison. They get to email and talk to each other on the phone, and he also visits her often. "I can't wait for her to get out so we can build on that foundation that we started here," he stated. Rod also told Springfield News-Leader in 2017 that he wants Gypsy to live with him and his wife Kristy when she gets out of prison, and they would do their best to help and support her in any way than can.

Rod Blanchard (pictured above with his wife Kristy) started a petition on Change.org. In it, he shared Gypsy's story and said he wishes for Gypsy to be released earlier or at least be transferred to a mental institution where she could get help. Despite hoping for an early release, Rod says that Gypsy will be fine in prison if she wouldn't be able to get out before her sentence is over. "She's glad she's not under her mother's care," he said (via Springfield News-Leader).

Gypsy Rose has been thriving in prison and in some ways, she says it's better than living with her mother. In an interview with E! News in 2019, Gypsy said that she is able to live like an ordinary woman her age, unlike when she was with her mother and was constantly being controlled. In addition, she has taken up hobbies, such as photography and cosmetology while incarcerated. Gypsy Rose is serving her sentence at the Chillicothe Correctional Center and will be eligible for parole in December 2023.