The first photos of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her fiancé Ken have been revealed via E! People first reported the news of her engagement to her prison pen pal in April of 2019.
Blanchard was convicted of orchestrating the murder of her mother Dee Dee Blanchard in 2016 after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. She is now serving a 10-year prison sentence.
In 2015, Blanchard convinced her boyfriend at the time, Nicholas Godejohn, to stab her mother to death. The dark tale became all the more bizarre when it was revealed that Blanchard, who used a wheelchair for most of her life and allegedly had several medical issues, was perfectly healthy and the victim of Dee Dee's Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Blanchard's story became the subject of Mommy Dead and Dearest, a 2017 HBO documentary by Erin Lee Carr, as well as the first season of Hulu anthology series The Act, in which Blanchard was portrayed by Joey King and Dee Dee by Patricia Arquette.
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Blanchard, who is reportedly "thriving" in prison, met soon-to-be husband Ken (his last name was not revealed) after the two exchanged letters shy of two years ago. What began as a platonic relationship grew romantic over time.
"[This relationship] is a good thing for her," Gypsy's family friend Fancy Micelli told People. "And whether it ends up being that way in the end no one knows, but for her right now it’s a very positive and happy time."
In the photos acquired by E!, Blanchard can be seen standing with Ken (upper right), her father Rod Blanchard, and stepmother Kristy Blanchard.
Blanchard's ex Godejohn gave his first interview since he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with an additional 25 years for armed criminal action in February, to Oxygen's Killer Couples. He said that he would have killed Dee Dee again if he could do things over and shared his feelings about his relationship with Blanchard.
"Those were probably the best days of my life," Godejohn said in the TV special. "I enjoyed every second of it. From the very beginning, I knew we were soulmates. Those five days I was physically with her were the most intense and magical and awe-inspiring days I’ve ever had."
Fortunately, it sounds like Blanchard has moved on.