Recently, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her social media presence. Gypsy Rose pled guilty to the second-degree murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, after asking her boyfriend to help her escape the severe abuse inflicted by her mother. Gypsy was released from prison in late December of last year.
Before Gypsy's release, she received strong support from around the world, with many excited about her newfound freedom after enduring a lifetime of trauma. However, as her social media following grew, so did the number of people who felt it was inappropriate for a convicted murderer to receive celebrity treatment.
As Gypsy continued to post on social media, more and more people began to withdraw their support for her. Why is this happening? Here are some of my observations:
One, Gypsy frequently engages in arguments with trolls and posts passive-aggressive comments on videos posted by others. Some see this as a way for her to defend herself, while others view it as attention-seeking behavior and spending too much time online. There is a consistent cycle of stating she will leave social media, followed by continued posting and commenting.
Two, many people have noticed inconsistencies in Gypsy's behavior and actions. Despite claiming to be an advocate for Munchausen By Proxy, she has not made any public efforts to advocate for it. Instead, her content has shifted to typical influencer material such as "Get Ready With Me" videos and day-in-the-life posts. This change in behavior has caused some to view her as disingenuous and lacking remorse, especially since her co-defendant received a life sentence for his role in the crime.
The most recent incident that has led to many withdrawing their support for Gypsy Rose is a video she made critiquing the Netflix show "Baby Reindeer". In the video, she laughed and called it "cringe" and "terrible". This upset many people because "Baby Reindeer" tells the real-life story of Richard Gadd, who was stalked and assaulted. It is a story of abuse and healing that many found insensitive for Gypsy to criticize.
Now, there are as many critics of Gypsy Rose as there are supporters, if not more. It appears that she has not used her platform for the good and awareness she championed before her release, instead transitioning seamlessly into influencer status upon leaving prison.
Although Gypsy has served most of her sentence and is not breaking any laws currently, she is facing a lifetime of public scrutiny and observation in the court of public opinion.