Just after being released from prison, Gypsy Rose Blanchard discussed the impact of unnecessary surgeries imposed by her mother and her quest for liberation.
The 32-year-old Munchausen-by-proxy victim recalled which of the experiences living under her abusive mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, was the most excruciating.
Gypsy Rose said that it was a surgery "to remove two salivary glands behind my neck.” She recalled that she “didn't respond very well to the anesthesia,” making the recovery process “really, really hard."
Gypsy Rose Blanchard discussed the enduring impact of unnecessary surgeries imposed by her mother in a new interview
Image credits: Dr. Phil
The newly freed woman told People: “To this day, it has left me with the side effects of having to clear my throat all the time. So I'm always, if you hear me, that is a constant thing that I've had ever since. And it annoys people to no end.”
As the Louisiana native clarified it wasn’t her intention to bother anyone with this habit, she added: “It's because my saliva is very thick and so I'm always having to clear my throat. So it's been a negative side effect for me.
“And the reason why I had that surgery is because my mother had put [Orajel] on my gums to make me drool at the appointment and complain to the doctor that [I drool] too much.”
Gypsy Rose was released from prison on parole on Thursday, December 28, after spending eight years behind bars for second-degree murder
Image credits: Greene County Sheriff's Department
Gypsy Rose said when she wasn’t near doctors, she would ask her mother if the procedures were necessary, People reported.
The survivor further recalled: “She would get really, really upset with me and start manipulating me in a way that she would take her love from me."
In the exclusive interview, which was published on New Year’s Eve, Gypsy Rose described her teen years as a “roller coaster,” where at times, she would have moments of “rebelling and then have moments of being very submissive.”
The 32-year-old revealed that the most painful surgery she had to endure was the removal of two salivary glands behind her neck
Image credits: ABC News
She admitted: “So in the submissive moment, things would be really good, and we would do things together that we would find fun. We'd watch a movie at night, we would go to the zoo together.
“We would just do little things around town together that was fun and bonding moments. And then I'd be a little bit more rebellious and question the sicknesses, and then that would be really, really toxic.”
"The reason why I had that surgery is because my mother had put [Orajel] on my gums to make me drool at the appointment," she said
Image credits: Greene County Sheriff's Department
As she compared their mother-daughter relationship to domestic violence, Gypsy Rose added: “I tried my best to be respectful, but sometimes it was very hard, so I would raise my voice, too.
“But she would call me things like b----, w----, s---, devil spawn. So all these terms really, really took an emotional and a mental toll on me.”
Today, Gypsy Rose is married and excited to continue her life with her new husband, Ryan Scott Anderson, in Louisiana, concluding the interview by saying: "I'm ready for freedom."
Gypsy Rose was a victim of Munchausen by proxy at the hands of her mother, Dee Dee
Image credits: HBODocs
Gypsy Rose, Ryan, and her family will be featured in Lifetime's upcoming new docuseries The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, premiering January 5.
In the docuseries’ trailer, the released convict can be seen saying: "As a survivor of relentless child abuse, this docuseries chronicles my quest for liberation and journey through self-discovery.
“I am unapologetically myself and unafraid to expose the hidden parts of my life that have never been revealed until now.”
Image credits: HBODocs
Gypsy Rose was released from prison on parole on Thursday, December 28, after spending eight years behind bars for second-degree murder in connection with the death of her mother, Dee Dee.
She was granted parole in September, with the Missouri Department of Corrections scheduling her release for December 28, three years before her release date.
One of the many forms of abuse Dee Dee inflicted on her daughter was forcing her to use painful feeding tubes
Image credits: Dr. Phil
Gypsy Rose and her then-boyfriend, Nicholas “Nick” Godejohn, conspired to kill her mom Dee Dee, after the woman had subjected Gypsy to painful and needless medical procedures for years.
News reports over the years revealed that Gypsy Rose was a victim of Munchausen by proxy, a form of abuse in which a caretaker exaggerates or induces illness in a child for attention and sympathy.
One of the many forms of abuse Dee Dee inflicted on her daughter was forcing her to use painful feeding tubes, and made friends and family believe she had leukemia after shaving Gypsy Rose’s head. She would also trick doctors into diagnosing and treating different illnesses.
In addition to the docuseries, Gypsy Rose will also publish a book, set to be released on January 9, that retells the difficult upbringing she had, detailing the physical and emotional abuse she suffered at her mother’s hands.
A press release, published by Penguin Random House, reads: “Gypsy saw her story told by others again and again in the media, from news reports and podcasts to TV series.
“Now, granted early parole and preparing to start a new life, she’s free to speak directly to her supporters and the world.”
"This girl deserves a second chance," a reader commented
