Thanks to documentaries like Making a Murderer and The Jinx and podcasts such as Serial, true crime has never been more popular than in the past few years.
People are always trying to unearth a new, morbid tale of human behavior gone horribly wrong. Maybe you’re one of them?
If so, we’ve got some news for you! One of the most disturbing true crime documentaries out there today might have gone under your radar. If you haven’t taken the time to watch HBO’s Mommy’s Dead and Dearest, do yourself a favor and set aside some time for this film…because it is chilling.
The story revolves around a 24-year-old woman named Gypsy Rose Blanchard who was convicted of murdering her mother Dee Dee in Missouri in 2015. The story seems like a run-of-the-mill crime tale at the beginning, but as it unfolds, viewers realize this was no ordinary murder.
Photo Credit: HBO
After the murder, Gypsy argued that her mother Dee Dee had essentially held her captive for her entire life by pretending Gypsy was sick and in need of constant care even though that wasn’t the case (a mental disorder known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy).
When Gypsy was only an infant, Dee Dee had her hooked up to a breathing machine for no reason. She claimed Gypsy had leukemia (she didn’t) and even shaved her head. Dee Dee also forced her daughter to unnecessarily use a wheelchair.
Photo Credit: HBO
Gypsy went along with her mother’s demands for years, even believing that she was indeed very ill. Eventually, though, Gypsy began to assert her independence and grow away from her mother. She met a man named Nick Godejohn online and the two began a relationship. Finally, in June 2015, Gypsy and her boyfriend Godejohn murdered Dee Dee Blanchard and were taken into custody the following day in Wisconsin.
Honestly, you have to see this film to believe it – my simple description doesn’t do it justice.
In fact, the story is so compelling that Hulu has put out a limited series called The Act dramatizing the tale of Gypsy and Dee Dee.
But back to the doc – take a look at the trailer below:
Have you seen Mommy Dead and Dearest yet? What did you think?
