#nicholas godejohn

- In recent years, Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s release from jail has cultivated a media resurgence of the murder of DeeDee Blanchard. Was Gypsy ever telling the truth? New evidence dug up by internet sleuths may put the now free 33-year-old’s parole at risk. In June of 2015, police respond to the residence of “DeeDee” Blanchard and Gypsy Rose Blanchard after a harrowing Facebook post from the mother and daughter’s shared account. The investigators found DeeDee on the bed with multiple stab wounds. At the time, most believed Gypsy did this due to the medical abuse she received at the hand of her mother. For years, it was said DeeDee made her entirely healthy daughter fake illnesses. It is believed by many doctors as well as the family of the two that DeeDee suffered from Munchausen by Proxy. It has been brought to light that Gypsy does have a genetic disorder, however, that does not negate the fraudulent and abusive activity of her mother. The media as well as the American audience painted Gypsy as a helpless victim up until her release. Interviews with Nicholas Godejohn after Gypsy’s release reveal how manipulated he felt by her. Godejohn tells KOLR10, “Her mom taught her very well how to master manipulation, master lying, master deceiving great audiences of people.”. To add, Nicholas’ first statement in this article is “The main reason this all even transpired was basically due to the love that I felt that was equally showed between me and Gypsy Blanchard, however, I’ve learned as of late that she may have just been using me…”. Gypsy’s actions after her 10-year prison sentence have caused much speculation among the public.

A reality show, possible pregnancy, marriage and subsequential divorce, viral social media moments and countless interviews, Gypsy Rose has been dancing in the spotlight since being released for only 9 months.

= Was Godejohn Manipulated?

internet sleuths have reviewed the crime scene photos and compared them with interviews from Gypsy and Nicholas. in the photos, it was recently noted that there is a Barney plush stuffed underneath DeeDee’s corpse. Initially Gypsy’s interview has her on record saying that she (1) did not enter the room during or after the slaying, (2) removed all the stuffed animals from the room. Others mentioned the sentimental value the mother-daughter pair had with the children’s show character. Many believe that this is not a coincidence and maybe Gypsy placed the stuffed animal during or after, as some sort of comfort to DeeDee. Locals of their previous residence have also come out to say that they believe Gypsy wasn’t necessarily resisting playing the “victim” role for the donations and attention.

It is true that Gypsy wanted a way out, and Nicholas facilitated that, but was something more influencing her actions?

(Gypsy and Dee Dee)

I have been anxiously awaiting this documentary on Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard, since reading the Buzzfeed longform article on it last August. This is the article that first brought the case to international attention, and writer Michelle Dean is rewarded for her efforts by being interviewed for the new documentary.

If you’ve never heard of this case before, I recommend you close this post here and go watch this documentary by HBO. If you’re a fan of this case, then this documentary will quench your thirst for more knowledge.

(Mugshots of Nicholas Godejohn and Gypsy Rose Blanchard)

The documentary expertly takes the viewer through the crime and the motivations behind it. It includes chilling footage of Gypsy crying in the police interview room when she first was told her mother was dead. There is also footage of Nicholas Godejohn, Gypsy’s boyfriend, in the interview room. Gypsy, her father, stepmother, maternal grandfather and maternal stepgrandmother are all interviewed for the film. What surprised me most was how little Dee Dee’s own father cared for her. I was shocked to hear him and Dee Dee’s stepmother state that Dee Dee tried to poison her stepmother, who was left bedridden for months afterwards.

Dee Dee was painted as a master manipulator and I have to agree with this assessment. It’s one thing to pretend your daughter has illnesses and profit from it, but for me it’s quite another to force your healthy daughter to undergo multiple medical procedures all to keep up the charade. Another thing I learned while watching this documentary is that, according to Gypsy, she was kept drugged up all the time on various medications.

As for Gypsy, I think Michelle Dean had it right when she was wondering if Gypsy has learned the art of manipulation from her mother. And how could she not? I wasn’t buying her baby-voice and crying over her mother’s murder. I think her true feelings were expressed in the immediate aftermath of the murder, with these Facebook posts authored by Gypsy:

I also think her extensive cosplay as ‘multiple personalities’ demonstrate how easy it is for her to slip into the role of someone else. While she was forced into this charade by her mother, Gypsy was able to adequately get everyone to believe she truly was disabled from the waist down, including her own father, which she knew was a lie. Gypsy stated that she truly believed she did suffer from all of the other conditions (muscular dystrophy, leukemia, vision and hearing impairment, among others).

I personally think Gypsy saw how easily manipulated Godejohn was. She painted herself as a damsel in distress who needed him to 'save’ her from her mother. Her willingness to have sex with him the first time they met and to go along with his fantasies even though she apparently wasn’t into it, shows that she was trying to get him on her side.

But that’s not to say that I don’t understand why she wanted her mother dead. As long as her mother lived, Gypsy was not going to have a life of her own. She had tried running away before, but her mother dragged her back, and according to Gypsy, kept her handcuffed to a leash attached to the bed for a period of time afterwards. Gypsy was clearly unable to face killing her mother herself, so she practiced what her mother did every day: manipulation. 

In the aftermath, Gypsy pretended she did not know her mother was dead. When pushed, she said she had no idea that Godejohn was going to kill her mother. She would have been forced to admit that lie when confronted with her own messages to Godejohn which planned out the murder. She further tries to paint herself in a good light by saying she sacrificed herself to be raped by Godejohn in exchange for him not sexually assaulting her mother. 

I do hope that ten years in prison will rehabilitate Gypsy. I firmly believe that if Gypsy was raised by her father out of reach of her mother, she would be an upstanding member of society and wouldn’t be plotting murders. Let’s hope she’s able to recover from the abuse from her mother and not stoop to her mother’s old tricks.

(Gypsy looks happier and healthier in prison)  

Gypsy Rose Blanchard spent years believing she was dying and had numerous diseases due to her mother Dee Dee. What is a child or adult to do when she finds out the years of abuse that they were succumbed to? Should it be ok if they hurt, abandon that person? How about kill?