Gypsy Rose Blanchard is settling back into normalcy after eight years in prison. But not only is she reuniting with family, but she's spending time with her husband, Ryan Scott Anderson.
The couple celebrated her freedom from prison with a kiss on New Year's Eve, which she shared on Instagram. The photo was not only a powerful display of her love, but felt particularly poignant given her release on December 28th - just ahead of a new year full of many possibilities.
© @gypsyrose_a_blanchard InstagramIf you didn't realise that the 32-year-old Munchausen's by proxy victim was married, you aren't alone. But she did in fact get married during her stay in prison. Here is everything you need to know about Gypsy and her husband, Ryan Scott Anderson.
Who is Gypsy Rose Blanchard?
© ABC 20/20Gypsy first became famous when she was convicted of second degree murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard.
The case shocked the nation, as it was revealed Gypsy was a victim of Munchausen's by proxy as her mother subjected her to years of medical abuse under the guise that she had leukemia, asthma, muscular dystrophy and the "mental capacity of a seven-year-old due to brain damage".
Investigators discovered that Gypsy was not only older than her mother had claimed her to be, but she didn't have any of the physical or mental issues that had originally been believed.
Gypsy went on to plead guilty to second degree murder, as it was revealed she had played a role in the murder, committed by her internet boyfriend at the time Nicholas 'Nick' Godejohn.
He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, while Gypsy was granted parole in September 2023.
Who is Gypsy's husband, Ryan Scott Anderson?
© @ryan_s_anderson InstagramRyan Scott Anderson is a middle school special education teacher from Lake Charles, Louisiana.
He first reached out to Gypsy in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. While he was working at a hospital at the time, he was speaking to a co-worker who told him she wanted to write a letter to the Tiger King's Joe Exotic.
"I said, 'I'll tell you what, if you write him, I'll write Gypsy Rose Blanchard.' And I had watched her documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, like three years before that," Ryan explained. "And then The Act came out and I've never watched The Act, but I remember my friends talking about The Act and I was like, I'll watch the documentary again. So it was kind of fresh on my mind."
When he sent it, he didn't expect to hear back. Yet by May 2020, the two begun a back-and-forth email exchange.
Gypsy has said that she was drawn to his compassion. "I would say that he is probably the most compassionate soul that I've ever met", she said. "And the most patient, God knows, he's so patient with me because I could be a little bit of a lot to handle. I could be a handful, an emotional handful."
How long have Gypsy and Ryan been together?
The couple have known each other for three years, as they started communicating in 2020, but they finally met in July 2021 having been unable to meet at the beginning of the pandemic.
When did they get married?
Gypsy and Ryan got married while she was in prison. They obtained a marriage license in Chillicoth, Missouri, on June 27th 2022. A month later they tied the knot in a small prison ceremony with no guests.
The former prisoner revealed that they do plan on having a celebration of their marriage now she's out of jail, according to PEOPLE.
"We do plan on having a reception/redo wedding with all of our family and our friends and the dress and the cake and everything because we deserve that. I deserve that. He deserves that," she explained. "Our prison wedding was just something to where we can make our vows to each other. It was something that meant something to us. And I think the party is kind of for everybody else and us, but mostly for everybody else."
What has life been like for Gypsy since her release from prison?
Although she's not been out of prison for long, Gypsy has been making the most of her free life as she's reconnected with her father Rod, stepmother Kristy and stepsister Mia. She celebrated her release by popping a bottle of champagne and spending time with family and friends.
But Ryan has made it clear that he has plans for his new wife, which he made clear to PEOPLE.
"Of course I have presents that I bought her and stuff," he teased, "so we're going to have a nice little get together. Then, the day after, Gypsy has a spa day planned."
"I'm from Louisiana and Gypsy loves my gumbo, so I plan on making a big gumbo for everybody. That's what she wants."
He also revealed his plans to take Gypsy on her first ever real date. "That night is when I'm going to get her to myself and have a romantic night out and take her on her first date," he says. "Gypsy's never been on a real date where you go and sit somewhere and eat and go to a movie or do whatever."
Everything Gypsy has said about having children
© @gypsyrose_a_blanchard InstagramGypsy has confirmed that she does want a family with Ryan. In fact she's dismissed the idea that her difficult past may impact her experience of motherhood. "I have learned what not to do," she explained.
In fact, she looks to other maternal figures within her life as a source of inspiration, reassuring the public that "I have a lot of good people around me to pull advice from when that time comes. I don't think that there's going to be a manual that says you've won mom of the year, but I definitely have no concerns about I think my parenting when it comes to that time."
The 32-year-old has even expressed that she's ready to have difficult conversations with her kids, as she made clear: "I'm going to have to explain to my kids why their grandmother on mommy's side isn't around. And that's going to be a really hard conversation."
Who did Gypsy previously date?
Famously, Gypsy dated Nicholas Godejohn, who she met online and is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of her mother.
Gypsy was also engaged to a man named Ken in 2019, but they eventually split up.
