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Published January 5, 2024, 5:00 am ET
Gypsy Rose Blanchard has more than 10 million followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram days after her release from prison on December 28. handout
She is finally free – and begins her influencer era.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard not only served a 10-year sentence for the second-degree murder of her abusive mother, but she gave fans a glimpse into life after prison.
Days after her release from prison on December 28, she has more than 10 million followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram.
Now the 32-year-old – who rose to stardom thanks to the 2017 HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest – is looking to reinvent herself on social media, telling People she wants to use her platform to “effect change.”
She has the book “Release: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom” out Jan. 9 and a three-part Lifetime special, “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard,” premiering Friday.
And experts say she could earn up to $100,000 per social media post through endorsement deals, brand partnerships and speaking engagements.
“First selfie of freedom,” is how Gypsy Rose Blanchard greeted her fans on Instagram last week in a post that received more than 237,000 comments. @gypsyrose_a_blanchard Blanchard was subjected to years of child abuse at the hands of her mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard – confined to a wheelchair and forced to use a feeding tube despite being healthy. Courtesy of HBO
“With an engaged community — who want to listen to the podcasts and buy the book — Blanchard could make millions this year,” Olivia Rudensky, CEO of digital marketing company Fanmade, told The Post.
“She has such a unique built-in audience that wants to hear more and wants more answers, which obviously translates into money,” said Rudensky, whose company has worked with celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Hailey Bieber.
“The internet loves buying meme merch. People are watching their every move… There are so many different content offerings.”
The hashtag #GypsyRoseBlanchard has 2 billion views on TikTok and fans flooded Blanchard's Instagram account following her release from a Missouri prison last Friday, when she shared a smiling selfie in a hotel room with the caption, “First selfie of freedom!”
“You served. Now it’s time to kill,” one fan commented.
Blanchard described herself on TikTok as a “public figure/speaker, author who advocates for Munchausen awareness by proxy.” gypsyrose_a_blanchard and lifetv/Instagram Blanchard shared a photo of herself locking lips with her new husband Ryan Anderson, whom she met in prison. She also used the post to promote her new Lifetime series with the hashtag #ThePrisonConfessionsofGypsyRoseBlanchard. Instagram/@gypsyrose_a_blanchard
Others praised Blanchard's commitment to mental health. “You look beautiful, girl! I hope you take the time necessary to adjust. Treat yourself with kindness and know that there are tons of people wishing you well in this new chapter,” one commenter wrote.
On Friday, she shared a photo of herself locking lips with her new husband Ryan Anderson, whom she met in prison when he wrote her a letter in 2020 using the hashtag #ThePrisonConfessionsofGypsyRoseBlanchard for her new Lifetime series advertised.
As of Saturday, she had gained 1.2 million followers on TikTok, with a bio describing her as a “public figure/speaker, author who advocates for Munchausen awareness by proxy.”
Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a psychological disorder in which parents exaggerate or fake their children's illness to gain attention and compassion.
Blanchard has been promoting the release of her upcoming book, Release: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom, out January 9th. Blanchard showed fans her wedding ring in an Instagram post. Instagram/@gypsyrose_a_blanchard
Blanchard was subjected to years of child abuse at the hands of her mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard – she was confined to a wheelchair and forced to use a feeding tube despite being healthy.
As a girl and young woman, Blanchard was led to believe that she suffered from, among other things, muscular dystrophy and leukemia, and her mother suggested she had brain damage from a premature birth.
“People are looking for explanations on Tiktok and the algorithm is feeding them every aspect of it,” Claudia Villarreal, head of creative and co-founder of Fanmade, told The Post.
“You can get caught up pretty quickly. It's rare to have so much backstory. Everyone wants to talk about it.
“She has such a unique built-in audience that wants to hear more and wants more answers, which obviously translates into money,” Rudensky said of fans’ obsession with her story. Instagram/Gypsy Rose Blanchard-Anderson
“There's a big difference between a social media influencer saying, 'Buy this product,' and Gypsy – she doesn't have to sell anything for her audience to care. Being yourself will be the deciding factor.”
On Sunday, Blanchard shared an avatar of herself in a crop top to her new Snapchat handle. A photo of her wedding ring on Instagram sparked more than 11,000 comments – including “Yes, diva” from singer (and Miley's sister) Noah Cyrus and an offer from a New York-based designer to make her a wedding dress.
“The true crime scene rarely has much to be happy about. “It’s fascinating,” Villarreal said.
She added that there is a niche market for dark parenting survival stories, pointing to former Nickelodeon star Jeanette McCurdy's memoir, “I'm Glad My Mom Died.”
Blanchard's story will ultimately sell itself, said Monique Lewis, who specializes in crisis response public relations: “It's sensationalism. Bad news will attract far more people than good news.” AP
“McCurdy]has built a platform where she talks about the difficulties she faces living with her mother, surviving and getting the book deal in the same way,” she said.
Arleigh Banner, CEO of lifestyle marketing and partnership agency Collab, told The Post that Blanchard needs to work on improving her image beyond her crime to retain her followers.
“It is crucial to shape their brand image beyond the shock factor of their story. The key is to keep their new followers engaged and curious about their daily activities, opinions and product recommendations, fostering a deeper connection,” said Banner.
Some people have criticized Blanchard's newfound influencer status and criticized her for trying to monetize her crime. One commenter said: “Someone is dead and someone else is in prison for life… no one should be celebrating this situation.”
But Blanchard's story will ultimately sell itself, said Monique Lewis, who specializes in crisis response public relations: “It's sensationalism. Bad news will attract far more people than good news.”
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