By the time she was six, it was determined that she was paralyzed from the waist down, and she had a feeding tube implanted. The family reportedly received large donations from charities and were even gifted a house that they lived in.ĭee Dee claimed that Gypsy Rose suffered from several conditions, including epilepsy, leukemia, muscular dystrophy, sleep apnea, retardation, and chromosome and digestive disorders. The two moved to Springfield, Missouri, in 2005, and Dee Dee told doctors at the time that Gypsy Rose’s medical records had been lost in Hurricane Katrina.

Her mother Dee Dee apparently spent years abusing her. Gypsy Rose seemed to suffer from a range of illnesses, spent her life in a wheelchair, was in and out of hospitals, and took many medications, according to an investigative piece on the family published by Buzzfeed News, which caused their story to go viral.īut in reality, Gypsy Rose was totally healthy. YouTube Icon YouTube Icon Who are Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard? Here’s what you should know about their story and how Hulu’s portrayal sheds light on the heartbreaking consequences of this rare, but very real, form of child abuse. Dee Dee was eventually murdered, and Gypsy Rose pleaded guilty to her mother’s killing. It follows the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard (played by Joey King), a woman whose mother Dee Dee Blanchard (played by Patricia Arquette) physically, mentally, and emotionally abused her to make her seem ill-and actually even made her sick at times.Įxperts say that Gypsy Rose was the victim of a condition previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy-now referred to as factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA)-a mental health disorder where a caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury to a person under their care for attention and sympathy.

Hulu just released a disturbing new crime show called The Act that’s based on true events.

Here’s how to spot the signs of Munchausen syndrome by proxy and how the abuse impacts the victim.

Dee Dee had a condition previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy -now referred to as factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA)-a mental health condition where a person (often a parent) makes up or causes an illness or injury to the person they are caring for.

The Act just premiered on Hulu the show follows the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who is serving a 1o-year sentence for murdering her abusive mother Dee Dee.

True story that the act is based on