- 6/12/2024
The Ballad of Gypsy Rose continues. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re unpacking the controversy behind Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s new series, “Life After Lock Up.”
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're unpacking the controversy behind
00:04Gypsy Rose Blanchard's new series, Life After Lockup.
00:07In one of the most shocking crimes of the 2010s, Blanchard pled guilty to
00:12second-degree murder in the death of her mother, Dee Dee.
00:14A victim of Munchausen by proxy syndrome, Gypsy was physically,
00:18emotionally, and medically controlled by Dee Dee her entire life.
00:22Gypsy was Dee Dee's daughter, but also her prisoner.
00:26I wanted that life that I was living to be over.
00:29She was sentenced in 2016, though the context behind the slaying
00:33led to a nationwide Free Gypsy movement.
00:36While behind bars, Gypsy's cult following turned her into a viral meme,
00:40a victim to rally behind, and a cultural icon.
00:43This woman is iconic. Like, she's a legend.
00:47Supporters eagerly counted down to her December 2023 release.
00:51This is insane. Like, Gypsy Rose Blanchard is getting out of prison.
00:55But now, after finishing a seven-year prison stint,
00:58Sweet Gypsy Rose's release party has turned sour.
01:02With rumors about her chaotic new life swirling for months,
01:05Life After Lockup aims to answer burning questions about Gypsy's concerning
01:09transition to the real world, like her peculiar social media presence,
01:13hasty marriage, and subsequent divorce.
01:15Through this eight-part series, we'll finally get a more introspective look
01:19at the woman whose actions divided the country.
01:21So what have we learned so far?
01:23And what is Gypsy hoping to get out of her latest TV deal?
01:26Here's everything you need to know about Gypsy's controversial new show,
01:29and whether it seems to be altering her image for better or worse.
01:33Okay, you know my story.
01:35All right, now let's see what I do with my life.
01:39The two sides of Gypsy
01:41There have always been two dominant public perceptions of Gypsy.
01:45Gypsy the victim, and Gypsy the perpetrator.
01:47This has been very controversial.
01:49Some people believe that she should not have gotten any time.
01:52Some people believe she should have gotten more time.
01:54There's no denying she suffered unimaginable anguish at the hands of her own mother,
01:58creating this idea of Gypsy as a wounded young girl who did what she had to do to survive.
02:03Her daughter was in essence a hostage.
02:06And I think we can understand the crime that occurred subsequently
02:10in terms of a hostage trying to gain escape.
02:14On the flip side, there's the shadow of the manipulative and unpredictable Gypsy,
02:19who baited her lover Nick Godejohn into killing her mother, and who can't be trusted.
02:24I think it's almost anybody's instinct,
02:25oh shit, you murdered your mother, you know?
02:28Watch that girl.
02:31Don't turn your back, she might stab you.
02:34When it was announced that she would star in yet another Lifetime show,
02:37this time documenting her life after prison, there was a mixture of cheers and groans.
02:42While many were morbidly curious and eager to watch,
02:45others saw it as a cash grab by a convicted criminal
02:48who shouldn't be afforded public attention or adoration.
02:51I think she's going to make decisions good and bad in other ways like all of us,
02:54and I give her so many passes for murdering her mom.
02:58But owning...
02:59She did do the time, but...
03:00She did, but my point here is I wonder if...
03:02Murder is bad.
03:04Moreover, the new series could be regarded as yet another in a line of recent shows
03:09that profit from a heinous crime,
03:11while bolstering the perpetrator as a potentially likable figure.
03:14Regardless of which camp you fall into,
03:16there's still the question of why a woman who's finally experiencing true freedom
03:21and deserves privacy would consent to a reality show.
03:24This certainly isn't the first time Gypsy's past is being rehashed.
03:28The 2019 Hulu series The Act served as a dramatized account of Gypsy's life in crime,
03:33and she was very vocally against it, stating that she, quote,
03:37wasn't consulted or paid for the show,
03:39and that it negatively affected her life in prison.
03:42It's logical then that she would want to write these wrongs
03:44through her own testimonies,
03:45which she's done in a series of prison interview specials.
03:49I will finally share my story the way that it should be shared.
03:53When asked why she allowed a fleet of cameras to follow her in life after lockup,
03:58she insists that she's outgrown the image of Gypsy the prisoner,
04:01and is ready for the next chapter.
04:03Ever since my case was all over the media, all over the news,
04:10people have been on this journey with me.
04:12Eager to speak her truth on her terms,
04:14she even penned a book in prison,
04:16and plans to release another memoir in the future.
04:19I want to be Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a survivor,
04:24an advocate for people that have been through what I have been through,
04:28and I want to be someone that my family could be proud of.
04:32However, Gypsy's wishful idea of who she would be post-release
04:35didn't entirely pan out yet,
04:37and her new persona began to shake up public perception once again.
04:41Gypsy's release was highly publicized,
04:43with fans clamoring for every new paparazzi photo of her out in the world.
04:48But it wouldn't be long before a whole slew of supporters turned on her.
04:51One of the first major critiques she received
04:53was in response to the way she took to social media.
04:56Sharing my story was a very selfless thing that I feel like I'm doing,
05:01and there was never any intentions of wanting the fame aspect of it.
05:05This claim that fame was never in the equation has come under fire,
05:09considering the endless stream of deals and appearances Gypsy has under her belt.
05:13Even if the goal was to advocate for other survivors,
05:16most of her early days on social media involved selfies,
05:20clapbacks at haters, and salacious comments about her sex life.
05:23Can't bring me down, I'm on a high right now.
05:26I'm living my best life, and y'all can't take that from me.
05:29And the D is?
05:31Fire!
05:32Fire!
05:34On her Instagram, she told her followers quote,
05:37I thought that once I got out of prison,
05:39I'd come out and I'd enjoy social media like the next person,
05:42taking selfies of myself in the mirror and just acting goofy and everything.
05:45Though this seems innocent,
05:47fans were quick to police her pages with demands of how to conduct herself online.
05:51This is ironic considering many of these followers
05:54had been cheering on her life as a free woman just weeks before.
05:58Gypsy had essentially been goaded into becoming a social media star,
06:01then blasted for earning influencer status overnight.
06:04Some people might hide from the spotlight,
06:07but you're going in a different direction.
06:09Sometimes I kind of feel like I have no choice.
06:11What do you mean by that?
06:12Certainly you have choice, you don't have to post.
06:15In a sense, she's right because the public was never going to leave her alone.
06:19While locked up, many constructed a fantastical vision of who Gypsy would be,
06:23then lashed out every time she didn't fit their idea of a proper post-release persona.
06:28But how should a woman who was abused, conspired to kill her abuser,
06:32served prison time, had TV shows created about her,
06:35became a tabloid sensation, and was forced into the spotlight really act?
06:40In reality, this tightrope walk was impossible.
06:43Be free, but be modest.
06:44Be proud, but be regretful.
06:46Be open, but be guarded.
06:48Be evocative, but not provocative.
06:50Eventually, Gypsy's comment sections were flooded by detractors
06:54singing the same song as her original skeptics.
06:56Talks of a divorce from her husband, Ryan Anderson,
06:59generated accusations that she had used him,
07:01likely in a confirmation of allegations that she used Nick.
07:05I do think Gypsy is potentially dangerous.
07:08Dee Dee was a master manipulator,
07:10and it's impossible that Gypsy would not have picked this up and used it.
07:15Pictures of her fresh nose job enraged followers
07:18who viewed this desire for cosmetic surgery as another vain bid for stardom,
07:22afforded by the money she earned through murder podcasts and network deals.
07:26Followers reprimanded her for being annoying,
07:29grating, and overexposed,
07:30as if they had no part in generating all of this interest about her in the first place.
07:35Tired of being under a microscope, Gypsy wiped all of her social media.
07:39I could give a F about a following.
07:44Though she has since re-emerged to advertise her latest show,
07:47Gypsy Rose Life After Lockup.
07:49So what's happened so far in the series,
07:51and will it put her back in good graces or serve as the last straw?
07:55An early series recap.
07:57Life After Lockup kicks off with Gypsy's final days in prison.
08:01During the premiere, we're introduced to her then-husband Ryan,
08:04who had previously received some public ire
08:06for involving himself with a deeply vulnerable woman.
08:09Same boy and her?
08:10Well, yeah, at that point, yeah, at that point I guess I was.
08:14Despite many finding it creepy or perhaps advantageous
08:18that he'd fall for an infamous felon,
08:20they confidently profess their undeniable love for each other.
08:23Her story, you know, just hit me, and I thought, gosh, she's cute.
08:27He calms almost like a storm that's inside my soul.
08:31When they're reacquainted out in the real world, it's fireworks.
08:35Oh, I missed you.
08:36I missed you too.
08:38But also a bit awkward.
08:39That's so hot. I'm actually in love on you now.
08:43It's to be expected given their situation,
08:45and they take time to question what their life together will actually be like.
08:49What if I snore?
08:51Well, then we got to get a divorce right away.
08:53She innocently gushes over her first cell phone and is giddy to buy new shoes.
08:58But during their outing, they're immediately confronted by paparazzi.
09:01Who is that?
09:03People we don't know.
09:10It's a swift reminder that a life of notoriety comes at a cost,
09:13and the public's hunger for gypsy content can't be sated.
09:17We're being followed.
09:19Can't we like call the police?
09:21Hey dad, we're being followed by media right now.
09:25It's also acknowledged that because she's under parole,
09:28she's still accountable to the Department of Corrections,
09:30an obstacle she will repeatedly contend with.
09:33She is going home today, but she is not free yet.
09:36Her reunion with her family is bittersweet,
09:39but in the second episode,
09:40there's a sense that Gypsy isn't truly prepared for the real world's challenges,
09:44and the shadow of her mother is still looming over her.
09:47She's infantilized in a way by both her parole officers,
09:51who are just doing their job,
09:52and her family, who are just being protective.
09:55It's like she's a newborn baby, and I don't want anything to hurt her.
10:00Having been sheltered her whole life,
10:02Gypsy begins to resent the way others try to shield her.
10:05I'm not stupid. You don't have to talk to me like I'm stupid.
10:08Meanwhile, Ryan's intentions become blurred
10:11as he continues to complain about one or two paparazzi following them,
10:14while simultaneously filming his every move for lifetime
10:17and telling strangers who he's with.
10:19This is Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
10:21Hi.
10:22He also pushes against any mention of Gypsy's ex-kin,
10:26and even begins to badmouth her family.
10:28I have been waiting a long time to be with her.
10:31So has her family.
10:32And I know they're probably a little jealous that I got a lot of her time.
10:36It's hinted at that this desire to control a woman who once lived as a puppet
10:40could spark their marital issues.
10:42Being home with Gypsy is great.
10:44I got her to myself.
10:46You're hovering.
10:48Thank you.
10:50Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
10:53and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
10:56You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
11:00If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
11:06What's next in the saga?
11:08What's perhaps most tragic about Gypsy's story is that she went from Dee Dee's pawn,
11:12to state prisoner,
11:14to tabloid specimen for the public to prop up, tear down, pick apart, and psychoanalyze.
11:19I do not feel free right now.
11:21I feel like I am in a different form of prison.
11:25Given the circumstances, it's doubtful she'll ever have a fully normal life,
11:29but she now has an opportunity to live as the woman she truly wants to be.
11:34It's to be expected that she'll make new mistakes
11:36as she navigates a difficult and at times unwelcoming world.
11:40I am kind of rushing into things, wanting to do everything all at once.
11:43She's 30 years old, she's making 17, 18 year old person type decisions.
11:48Though she carries an unprecedented amount of baggage and trauma,
11:51a positive breakthrough is possible with the right support.
11:54There will be bumps in the road, but that's what she has family for.
11:57I just want her to be happy.
11:59What does the right support look like though?
12:01And is she getting it?
12:03Unfortunately, the Life After Lockup season trailer teases a lot of turmoil.
12:08Struggles with self-image, breakdowns from attackers online,
12:11battles with Ryan, and a shocking reunion with her ex-fiancé Ken.
12:15I've never been on camera before talking about anything like this.
12:18I need to have faith that she will always come back.
12:22The sensationalized reality TV nature of the show plays on the explosive drama
12:27in her personal life, which doesn't seem like the kind of attention
12:30Gypsy needs during her healing process.
12:32I'm human, I'm not a character.
12:35Even if she invited the cameras in, there's no guarantee that the story
12:38the editors tell will ultimately line up with her goals when signing on.
12:42As of now, it's unclear whether these developments will garner Gypsy
12:46some lost sympathy or pile on to her villain era.
12:49But if there's one takeaway we should all be looking for,
12:52it's Gypsy's candid wishes of how she expects to be treated,
12:55and what she hopes tomorrow brings.
12:58I want to live a simple life that everybody else takes for granted.
13:03This is my evolution.
13:06Do you think it was a good or bad idea for Gypsy to participate in Life After Lockup?
13:10Share your thoughts below.
13:12Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
13:14and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
Recommended
2:04
|
Up next
0:28
3:35
11:53
12:08
26:54
13:28
11:34
16:11