Gypsy Rose Blanchard is well-known as the ‘sick’ child who killed her mother.
At 8-years-old, Gypsy fell off her grandfather’s motorcycle, suffering a minor abrasion to her knee. Her mother Dee Dee Blanchard believed this injury was more than it was and insisted Gypsy stay in a wheel-chair until her knee got better. Dee Dee went into a spiral of delusion and started to diagnose Gypsy, saying she had muscular dystrophy, cancer, and many other diseases. They moved out of her grandparents house and into a run-down apartment. They lived off of disability checks which came in every month and therefore Dee Dee did not have to work.
After Hurricane Katrina, the two received a lot of attention from the media and many became concerned about the two. They received a numerous amount of donations, gifts, and support. Habitat for Humanity built them a house with a wheelchair ramp and a hot tub. A well known doctor reached out to Dee Dee to see what he could do in regards of Gypsy’s medical condition. After discovering Gypsy did not have any of the diseases Dee Dee had mentioned, he had many questions. Dee Dee came up with the story that all of their documents and medical files got lost in the hurricane and there was no longer any physical proof. Along with medical files, her birth certificate was another document which was lost in Hurricane Katrina.
Dee Dee would give Gypsy various medications to numb her and put her mental as well as her physical growth into question. When Gypsy was 19, she was told she was 14.
Time went by and one day, the county police received a phone call in regards to the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard. Panic began, what if the same person who murdered Dee Dee was out to get Gypsy? Gypsy was found walking around and eating normally with her boyfriend hours later.
Gypsy’s story is the sole inspiration for the Hulu show, The Act, whose first three episodes were recently released. Growing up, Gypsy was told she was very ill and younger than she actually was.
The tv show on Hulu, The Act, shows Gypsy, Dee Dee, the neighbors and other characters essential in telling this story. Joey King, who plays Gypsy is perfect for the role and does a great job in acting as Gypsy through voice, actions, and behavior. This show has suspense with a bit of horror to it but overall a great show to watch with friends or by yourself.
Hulu and Spotify teamed up to create a student deal for only $4.99 a month for both apps together. The deal is 100 percent worth it. Check out, The Act!