Here’s my list of the best documentaries on the twisted murder tory of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
1) Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)
HBO’s “Mommy Dead and Dearest” was the first doc on Gypsy Rose I watched. And it’s the best.
I started off watching the doc expecting a straightforward true crime story.
But it turned out to be way more twisted.
The doc opens with a creepy phone call between Gypsy Rose Blanchard and a cop, telling her that her mom, Dee Dee, is dead. Gypsy doesn’t react much, which is super weird and sets up the whole mysterious vibe.
Turns out, Gypsy’s life was pretty wild. She’s been sick her whole life—or so everyone thought—because of a bunch of illnesses her mom said she had.
But really, Dee Dee was the one behind it all, tricking everyone into thinking Gypsy was sick.
The whole community thought Dee Dee was this amazing mom taking care of her sick daughter. They even got a lot of help and gifts from people. But behind closed doors, it was a different story. Dee Dee was actually controlling and abusive.
As the doc goes on, we learn that none of Gypsy’s illnesses are real. Dee Dee might have had Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome, where a caregiver makes up or causes real symptoms in the person they’re caring for.
Things get even darker when Gypsy meets a guy online, Nicholas Godejohn, and they end up planning to kill Dee Dee, which they do.
The documentary doesn’t just tell us what happened, it shows us how complicated and messed up everything was. It makes you really think about Gypsy—was she a victim, a survivor, or something else?
“Mommy Dead and Dearest” is a wild ride that shows how crazy the truth can be, and it’s definitely not a simple crime story.
Where to Watch — I watched “Mommy Dead and Dearest” on HBO Max here: https://play.max.com/movie/87b41129-1e1e-41ff-b32c-926711b94311
I also found some free ways to watch it which I put here on a page just for Mommy Dead and Dearest (since I rank it the best): https://dailydoc.com/mommy-dead-and-dearest/
2) The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard (2024)
The new Gypsy Rose documentary comes from Lifetime TV. It was released January 5, 2024.
I rank this as the best Gypsy Rose docuseries because it goes deep with more from Gypsy Rose herself.
But you can also view it as a continuation of Mommy Dead and Dearest since Episode 1 picks up with Gypsy Rose on the brink of her parole hearing
It’s in 6-parts. IMO, the best Episodes are 1 through 4.
They cover the parole hearing (after 7 years behind bar for murder)
Episodes 5 and 6 trail off a bit. They probably could have trimmed the series to just 4 episoes (IMO).
Where to Watch — I wasn’t able to watch the exact 6 episodes on Lifetime. I instead watched the 21 clips of it that Lifetime offers on YouTube for free here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGs_KiMsuIc&list=PLvAOsBfvt4jBlANMdBw3MFAvnKsKRd1e0
But I share a bunch of links (including multiple trailers) of how to watch it on the page I dedicated to the docuseries: https://dailydoc.com/the-prison-confessions-of-gypsy-rose-blanchard/.
3) Gypsy’s Revenge (2018)
I rank “Gypsy’s Revenge” as the third best documentary on Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
It’s a solid telling of the story starting in the early 2000s.
That’s when Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose moved to Springfield, Missouri after Hurricane Katrina.
At that time, Gypsy is believed to be suffering from muscular dystrophy, leukemia, and other ailments,
The community rallys around them. They even provide a specially-designed home .
But it’s later revealed that Gypsy’s illnesses were fabricated by her mom Dee Dee.
Dee Dee has been subjecting her to unnecessary medications, surgeries, and other medical interventions since early childhood.
Gypsy’s father, Rod Blanchard, who was divorced from Dee Dee, had limited contact with Gypsy. He’s unaware of the extent of the abuse.
As Gypsy grew older, Dee Dee’s control over her intensifies.
This includes shaving her head to maintain the appearance of a cancer patient and lying about her age.
In 2012, Gypsy met Nicholas Godejohn on a Christian dating website and began an online relationship.
She eventually confides in him about her situation and her desire to escape her mother’s control.
The two conspire to murder Dee Dee, considering various methods such as poisoning and arson before settling on stabbing.
In June 2015, Godejohn travels to Springfield and, with Gypsy’s knowledge, stabbed Dee Dee to death while she slept.
The couple then fled to Wisconsin, where they were apprehended by police shortly after.
During her trial, Gypsy pleads guilty to second-degree murder and is sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The case garnera significant media attention over questions about the failures of the medical system and social services.
Specifically, critics say that the experts missed this being a case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
I watched “Gypsy’s Revenge” for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSqv3B4hTyA (you can also watch it by clicking the video embed above).
4) Mother Knows Best: A Story of Munchausen by Proxy and Murder (2017)
Dr. Phil sits down to interview Gypsy Rose Blanchard for his Season 16, Episode #51.
Dr. Phil covers these topics with Gypsy:
- The Nature of Abuse — Gypsy’s story exposes the depths of abuse. It reveals how low abuse can go when done by a mother. Dee Dee Blanchard manipulated her daughter medically. Her abuse trapped Gypsy in a web of lies. Gypsy was confined to a wheelchair she didn’t need. This shows the terrible effects of using love as a weapon.
- The Failure of Safeguards — Medical and social services missed many signs. Family members also failed to see Dee Dee’s deception. Their oversights show big flaws in our safety systems. It’s a scary reminder. Evil thrives when good people don’t act.
- The Desperation of the Abused — Gypsy’s drastic actions show the impact of long-term abuse. These actions highlight the psychological damage she endured. Victims may take extreme steps when they feel there’s no escape. It shows the deep human need for freedom. And the terrible outcomes when this need is blocked.
- The Complexity of Culpability — Gypsy’s situation makes us question victimhood and guilt. She suffered terrible abuse. Yet, her involvement in murder complicates her victim status. We must consider the moral complexities when victims harm others. It’s a stark lesson that trauma can lead to unexpected tragedies.
- The Perils of Isolation — Gypsy’s isolation allowed her mother’s false reality to grow. She was kept away from school, friends, and the world. Her story warns us about the dangers of isolation. It shows the importance of connections and support networks. These can be crucial lifelines during crises.
Watch “Mother Knows Best: A Story of Munchausen by Proxy and Murder” for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4z3G2QXAnA
5) A&E Killer Cases: “Killing Momma”
In Season 1, Episode 6 of A&E’s Killer Cases series, you get “Killing Momma.”
It’s a 43-minute investigative piece into the murder of “Dee Dee” Blanchard.
Dee Dee is found face down dead in the bedroom of her house just outside Springfield, Missouri in June of 2015.
How to Watch — I watched it for free on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u-IXebpQRU.
You can also stream Killer Cases on Hulu, A&E, Peacock (Premium) and other streamers at https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/killer-cases
6) 20/20 Gypsy Rose Blanchard (2018 and 2024)
20/20 did two episodes of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
The most recent one is “Gypsy Rose: The Next Act”. That was Season 47, Episode 16 and aired January 26, 2024.
Above is the 8-minute clip of it.
“20/20” co-anchor Deborah Roberts sits down with Gypsy a week after her release from prison.
They cover Gypsy’s life behind bars and her newfound fame.
You can watch the full 1 hour and 22 minute episode from ABC here: https://abc.com/shows/2020/episode-guide/2024-01/27-gypsy-rose-the-next-act
The other one was called “Gypsy Rose Blanchard” and aired December 14, 2018 (Season 42, Episode 18).
I don’t see any links online to watch that one.
7) Gypsy Rose on The View (2024)
Here’s Gypsy on The View in an 8 min. 35 second interview.
They cover:
- The Evil of Abuse — Gypsy’s mom, Dee Dee Blanchard, hurt her in a really bad way. She made Gypsy think she was sick when she wasn’t. She forced Gypsy to be in a wheelchair and took her to lots of doctors for no reason. This shows how terrible abuse can be, especially when it comes from a mom who is supposed to love and protect her child.
- The Adults Who Didn’t Help — Many doctors, like Dr. Flasterstein, and other grownups had chances to figure out that Dee Dee was lying about Gypsy being sick. But they didn’t do enough to help Gypsy. This teaches us that bad things can keep happening when people who can help don’t pay attention or speak up.
- The Need to Be Free — Gypsy was so badly hurt by her mom’s abuse that she thought the only way to escape was to do something really extreme. While it was wrong for Gypsy to be involved in her mom’s murder in June 2015, it shows how desperate abuse victims can feel when they are trapped and think no one will help them.
- The Question of Blame — Even though Gypsy was a victim of her mom’s cruelty, she still played a part in a murder plot with her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn. This makes us think about how being abused can sometimes lead people to do bad things too, and how hard it can be to decide who is responsible when that happens.
- The Danger of Being Alone — Because Gypsy’s mom kept her away from school, friends, and the outside world, it was easier for Dee Dee to control her and make her believe things that weren’t true. Gypsy’s story teaches us how important it is to have people around us who can help and support us when we need it.
Watch it for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vL6ilZqVTU
What about Gypsy Rose Blanchard on Netflix and Hulu?
Is the Gypsy Rose Documentary on Netflix? (Last update: 2024)
Three thousand people per month Google-search the term “gypsy rose documentary netflix”.
But I’ve seen no docs about Gypsy Rose on Netflix (I’m writing this (April 13, 2024).
I checked Netflix. I checked Reddit. I looked up the Internet Archives.
Perhaps the confusion is that Netflix does have a documentary similar to the Gypsy Rose story called “Take Care of Maya”.
That 2023 doc is about a 10-year-old Maya Kowalski who has a rare illness. Hospital staff has a suspicion that she is a victim of Munchausen Syndrom by Proxy (same scenario as Gypsy Rose) and contact child protective services.
Here’s the trailer for “Take Care of Mya”:
While Netflix doesn’t have a documentary on Gypsy Rose, I could see them doing a movie (drama) about Gypsy. Sort of like what Hulu did below.
The Gypsy Rose Docudrama on Hulu (2019)
Hulu did a docudrama (not documentary) on Gypsy Rose called “The Act”.
I didn’t watch it but it got an IMDB score of 7.9 (which is higher than most of the docs on this page). And it was rated by 38,000 people.
Here’s the trailer:
Thanks for reading!
-Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc