- In The Act‘s season finale, viewers finally get to meet Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s dad, Rod Blanchard.
- The show portrays their relationship as estranged, but the true story is different.
- Rod was in Gypsy’s life for 10 years and is currently petitioning to get her released from prison.
The obsession with Hulu’s newest show, The Act, is real, so if you just finished (or, more likely, are in the middle of) watching the season finale, you’re probably not 100 percent ready to get off this wild ride.
As you probs already know, The Act is based on the real-life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mom Dee Dee Blanchard, who had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, meaning she pretended Gypsy had a whole slew of medical conditions. For years, Gypsy believed she was sick when she was actually a healthy child. Eventually, Gypsy convinced her then-boyfriend, Nick Godejohn, to kill Dee Dee so she could be free of her mother.
And of course, because it’s The Act, there’s a new plot twist around every corner. The latest one involves Gypsy Rose’s dad, Rod Blanchard, who Gypsy calls only after her lawyer tells her she needs her dad to get a copy of her medical records if she wants to avoid the death penalty. An estranged family member showing up to save the day in the final hour? Sounds like something out of your fave soap opera. But wait, did that happen IRL?
Well, not exactly. Here’s everything you need to know about the true story of Gypsy Rose’s dad and their relationship.
Gypsy did call Rod from prison after being charged with Dee Dee’s murder.
But it wasn’t about her medical records—or at least, it wasn’t just about that. “You know I love mama and you know that I would never hurt her. Just know that I am innocent and I’m still your little girl,” Gypsy said during her phone call, according to the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest.
That doesn’t exactly sound like something you’d say to a total stranger who just happens to share half your DNA, ya know? So yeah, he and Gypsy did have some kind of real-life relationship…
He was in Gypsy’s life until she was 10.
Rod and his current wife Kristy (more on her in a sec) regularly visited Gypsy and even brought her gifts until Dee Dee eventually separated them.
Dee Dee moved with Gypsy from Louisiana to Springfield, Missouri after Hurricane Katrina (and after Rod and Dee Dee’s families became suspicious of her claims, per the Springfield News-Leader).
In the HBO doc, Kristy said that she and Rod planned visits to Springfield on several occasions, but every time, Dee Dee wouldn’t respond to calls or texts during the days leading up to the trips. Weeks later, Dee Dee would tell them that Gypsy had been in the hospital.
“We were very intimidated about her medical conditions,” Rod said in an interview with the Springfield News-Leader. “Dee Dee was explicit that she had to be by her side 24-7. So we never did get to build that bond.”
Now, Rod is petitioning to get Gypsy released from prison.
Gypsy Rose is currently serving a 10-year sentence for pleading guilty to second-degree murder of Dee Dee, but her dad hasn’t given up hope that she’ll be released sooner. He made a Change.org petition titled ‘Free Gypsy Rose Blanchard,’ asking 150,000 people to sign (and btw, it’s currently less than 700 people away from its goal).
Clearly, Rod’s super loyal to her, writing in his petition statement that he’s “petitioning for any relief to Gypsy’s 10-year sentence, a shorter sentence, perhaps relocation to a mental facility where she can get the better help she needs.”
He thought Gypsy was legit as sick as Dee Dee claimed.
Rod stated on Change.org that “I too was lead [sic] to believe Gypsy was sick her whole life…I always provided financial and moral support to them even after Gypsy turned 18 I continued to pay $1,200 a month in child support payments because I was convinced that Gypsy was disabled and Dee Dee spent all of her time caring for Gypsy…Dee Dee always coached, filtered and monitored Gypsy and I’s communications.”
This is a bit different from how their relationship is portrayed The Act. In one scene, Rod calls Dee Dee asking to speak to Gypsy, and she makes up an excuse why he can’t. Then, when Gypsy and Rod finally meet while she’s incarcerated, it seems like they’ve had zero communication over the years, and he has to remind her of all the times he was a part of her childhood.
Rod appeared in Mommy Dead and Dearest.
Rod opened up about his side of the story in the 2017 documentary that spurred the creation of The Act.
He later shared on Dr. Phil’s podcast, Analysis of a Murder, that he didn’t have much of a relationship with Gypsy Rose growing up. “I never lived with Dee Dee and Gypsy,” said Rod. “We never got to experience that—Gypsy and I. She [Dee Dee] was a buffer…Birthdays, holidays, it was very hard.”
Rod and Gypsy have reconnected since she’s been in prison.
Rod shared with Fox News that he and Gypsy Rose now have a pretty great father-daughter relationship. “It’s a hundred times better, honestly,” he said. “We email each other. She can call me anytime, and she does. I’m keeping tabs on all of her accomplishments in school. She’s getting her GED. … It’s wonderful. I can’t wait for her to get out so we can build on that foundation that we started here.”
He remarried after Dee Dee.
Rod and Dee Dee actually weren’t together very long. In his Change.org petition, he said, “Dee Dee and I were married then separated during her pregnancy. I was 17 Dee Dee was 23.”
He is now re-married to Kristy Blanchard, who spoke with In Touch Weekly about how upsetting The Act has been for her. “Not everyone has seen all of the documentaries and the interviews we’ve done,” she said. “[People watching The Act] are going to get a totally different perspective than what we know is the truth. … It is highly upsetting to me.”
And he has two other children.
According to Rod’s Change.org petition, Gypsy has two younger siblings: a 22-year-old brother, Dylan, and a 16-year-old sister, Mia.
Rod is already planning for Gypsy’s release.
“We are hoping when she gets out, she’ll come stay with us and we’ll get her in the right direction,” Rod told the Springfield News-Leader. “We are hoping to bring her home and help her the best we can. The possibilities are endless.”
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