In a new 20/20, co-anchor Deborah Roberts sits down with Gypsy-Rose Blanchard one week after her release from prison to talk about life behind bars, her reckoning with her past, and how she is dealing with her newfound fame.
- For over a decade, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard lived in a wheelchair and allegedly suffered from multiple medical issues, including leukemia, seizures and muscular dystrophy. Known in her community as a local hero, Gypsy and her mother, Dee Dee, spoke at conferences, met celebrities, and even received a home from Habitat for Humanity.
- However, everything changed in 2015, when police discovered Dee Dee stabbed to death in her home and named Gypsy and her secret boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, as the main suspects.
- In a case that reverberated across the nation, experts revealed that this was likely a case of Munchausen by proxy, a form of abuse, usually by a parent to their child, in which a guardian exaggerates or induces illness in a child often motivated by a desire for attention and sympathy — Gypsy says she was a healthy young woman.
- The two-hour 20/20 includes an exclusive interview with Lt. Stan Hancock, the lead detective on the case.
- The program also features interviews with:
- Sheriff Jim Arnott
- Mike Stanfield, Gypsy’s defense attorney
- Rod and Kristy Blanchard, Gypsy’s father and stepmother
- Aleah Woodmansee, Gypsy’s neighbor and friend
- Dr. Bernardo Flasterstein, a pediatric neurologist who treated Gypsy and suspected Munchausen by proxy
- Additional interviews include Dr. Mary Sanders, a Stanford professor and leading expert on Munchausen by proxy abuse, and EJ Dickson, a writer for Rolling Stone who reported on the case. 20/20 airs on Friday, January 26 (9:01-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC, next day on Hulu.
- ABC News’ 20/20 is an award-winning primetime program anchored by David Muir and Deborah Roberts. A proven leader as a long-form newsmagazine for over 45 years, 20/20 features unforgettable, character-driven true-crime mysteries, exclusive newsmaker interviews, hard-hitting investigative reports and in-depth coverage of high-profile stories. Janice Johnston is the executive producer.
- The two-hour 20/20 events air Fridays from 9:01-11:00 p.m. EST on ABC and are available to stream on ABC News digital platforms and Hulu.