Since her release from prison in December, Gypsy Rose Blanchard has become an undeniable success online. In just a month, she’s garnered nearly 10 million TikTok followers and more than 8 million Instagram followers, and has been the subject of dozens of viral memes.
But despite her ever-growing Internet fanbase, the true crime figure says she is still adjusting to social media culture.
“I’m coming into this just brand new,” Blanchard told the Huffington Post during a press conference last week. “I feel like I’m a new baby bird on the Internet. I don’t even know how to do all of the emojis.”
Blanchard just finished serving eight years for the 2016 second-degree murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, who many believe suffered from what was previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Blanchard’s mother lied to her, their friends, family and doctors, convincing them that Gypsy Rose suffered from cancer and other severe illnesses. For much of her life, she was forced to use a wheelchair, had her head shaved and was fed through a feeding tube.
Due to her success on platforms like TikTok, Blanchard has found a new audience with Gen Z.
“I think it’s great,” she said of her story resonating with younger users, “because I’m coming out and experiencing things for the first time.”
“I think maybe I’m a little bit more relatable in that sense, and I think we all kind of feel the need to want to be loved and seen for who we are,” she said. “So I think that’s the appeal about me — is that I’m learning about my identity while Gen Z is learning about theirs, too.”
Blanchard’s new reality series The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is now streaming on Lifetime.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
