If you, like me, are a “chronically online” individual, you might have noticed a countdown to Dec. 28 last month across all social media platforms. This was particularly interesting to me because a very exciting event happens to fall on the same day — my birthday.
“Wow, thanks, guys!” I whispered to myself as I continued my curled-up-in-bed TikTok scroll, seeing endless posts counting down to the same date. It wasn’t until I got to an edit of a picture of a young Gypsy Rose Blanchard, jail bars lifting over her image like a bad PowerPoint transition, with Nicki Minaj’s “FTCU” blaring in the background that I realized — oh, social media wasn’t randomly celebrating my birthday this year.
On Dec. 28, 2023, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from prison at 32 years old, qualifying for early release after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence. She was sentenced in 2016 at 25 years old when she pleaded guilty to her role in the murder of her mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard.
Diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome by proxy posthumously, Dee Dee Blanchard had fabricated the story that her daughter Gypsy was wheelchair-bound, mentally incapacitated, and battling leukemia, muscular dystrophy, and other serious ailments. When Dee Dee was found deceased in their home in 2015, it was revealed that Gypsy and her online boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, had murdered Dee Dee and that Gypsy — the “terminally ill” teenager — could walk, was healthy, and was 23 years old.
Gypsy’s popularity blew up immensely after the release of the award-winning Hulu mini-series The Act, featuring The Kissing Booth star Joey King as Gypsy, where millions became familiar with her story. This led to a flood of posts on social media counting down to Gypsy’s release day, with millions of people across the world sharing sentiments of sympathy towards the horrifying abuse she suffered throughout her life.
Since her release, Gypsy has gone viral across social media platforms, with her Instagram following standing at 8.3M followers as of Jan. 29. She’s even been turned into something of a viral meme after responding defensively to haters in the comments of an Instagram picture of her husband Ryan Anderson, whom she married in 2022, with the now iconic “The D is fire” comment. This comment led to a trend on TikTok and other platforms where users copied and pasted the comment into their significant others’ Instagram comments, replacing her husband’s name with their partners’.
It’s only been a month since Gypsy was released and, in just that short time, she’s been turned into an internet icon. Anything she posts is quick to get over a million likes, and supportive comments constantly flood her comment sections. Some notable ones I’ve seen include “Slay Mother!”, “Yes Queen!”, and “Mama You Killed That!” But maybe “Slay Mother!” isn’t quite an appropriate comment to make, considering, you know… Gypsy’s whole ordeal?
Since her release, Gypsy has conducted a press tour as a Munchausen by proxy awareness advocate, sharing her story on various news and social media platforms. The viral support from the girlies has followed her on this tour, but a notable moment happened when Gypsy appeared on the daytime talk show The View.
As she explained her abusive situation and that she approached it “the wrong way,” The View’s Joy Behar interrupted Gypsy and kept insisting that she “had no choice.” This resulted in Gypsy going viral for bluntly replying “Murder is wrong, Joy” to her continuous attempts to absolve her of any wrongdoing.
If Gypsy’s fanbase was fanatic before, it got 10 times more chaotic after this soundbite came out. But this moment, to me, perfectly depicts the phenomenon that’s made me a bit uncomfortable as a chronically online Gen Z-er.
The internet’s fascination with Gypsy Rose Blanchard is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s heartening to see Gypsy receiving overwhelming support after enduring unimaginable abuse. Her rise to internet icon status, with millions of followers and viral posts, speaks volumes about the public’s empathy and desire to root for and acknowledge survivors and their struggles.
However, the intense and rapid internet fame also highlights a darker aspect of our culture: an obsession with true crime that can sometimes blur the lines of sensitivity and respect.
The sheer scale of Gypsy’s online presence since her release is unprecedented for someone involved in such a traumatic incident. While it’s natural for people to be intrigued by her story, especially after it was dramatized in popular media, there is a risk that the real-life implications and the need for healing and privacy are overshadowed.
Gypsy’s situation brings to light the unique challenges faced by individuals like her, who find themselves thrust into the public eye after traumatic experiences. As much as her story fascinates the public, it’s crucial to remember that she is a real person and not just a character from a sensational news story or a streaming series. She deserves the chance to rebuild her life outside the glare of the public eye, and to experience the normalcy and privacy that she was deprived of for so long.
But, as of right now, Gypsy seems quite content with her life and role as an advocate, as seen in her latest viral meme, a video where she proudly claims “I’m on a high right now! Can’t bring me down!” So, may her journey ahead continue to be one of healing, a supportive internet, and iconic comments on her husband’s Instagram. Let’s hope that by the end of her media journey, Gypsy gets to enjoy some well-deserved, meme-free zen.
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