Gypsy Rose Blanchard has a very close relationship with her stepmother, Kristy.
After divorcing Gypsy’s mom Dee Dee Blanchard, Gypsy’s dad Rod Blanchard married Kristy, with whom he shares two children.
Both Rod and Kristy maintained a close relationship with Gyspy during her early years, despite the fact that Dee Dee and Rod divorced before Gypsy’s birth.
However, as Gypsy got older, she and her father became estranged as Dee Dee controlled many aspects of Gypsy’s life, eventually making her undergo years of intense medical treatments that she never needed.
Gypsy was a victim of Munchausen by proxy, a form of abuse in which a guardian may seek attention or sympathy by making their child ill or exaggerating their illness.
Following Dee Dee’s murder in June 2015, for which Gypsy pleaded guilty and served eight years in prison, both Rod and Kristy have shown their support for Gypsy.
In the new Lifetime docuseries, The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Gypsy and Kristy give more glimpses of their close bond as they open up about Gypsy’s early childhood, her murder trial and her time in prison.
Here’s everything they’ve revealed about their relationship.
Kristy started dating Rod when Gypsy was 6 months old
Gypsy’s parents Rod and Dee Dee first met when he was in high school, and dated for three months before Dee Dee revealed she was pregnant.
Though they eventually got married, their relationship was short-lived as they separated before Gypsy was born.
In the docuseries, Kristy says she and Rod began dating when Gypsy was 6 months old.
During the early years of Gypsy’s life, both Rod and Kristy maintained a close relationship with Gypsy, often going to events together, including the Special Olympics.
Gypsy calls Kristy the mom she ‘always wanted to have’
Speaking about her stepmother’s continued support in her Lifetime docuseries, Gypsy calls Kristy the ‘mom that I always wanted to have,’ adding that she can’t imagine life without her.
Kristy attended Gypsy’s parole hearing
Though Rod couldn’t attend Gypsy’s parole hearing, Kristy made sure to support her stepdaughter.
During a phone call with Rod shown during the Lifetime docuseries, Kristy reveals that she also spoke on Gypsy’s behalf during the hearing.
‘I told the parole board that look I don’t condone what Gypsy did, not at all. I understand why she did it,’ she recalls to producers of what she said during the hearing.
Kristy didn’t want Gypsy to get married to Ryan at first
During the Lifetime docuseries, Kristy recalls when Gypsy first told her about her relationship with her now-husband Ryan Scott Anderson.
Though she was happy for Gypsy at first, she became hesitant about their romance when Gypsy announced they were engaged, not wanting Gypsy to rush into marriage.
Though Gypsy and Ryan did follow through with their marriage, they later had a major disagreement which led to them briefly separating.
Afterward, Gypsy reached out to her stepmother for advice, and she encouraged her to seek an annulment.
However, Gypsy and Ryan were eventually able to work through their issues.
