He was finally free — and entering his era of influence.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard went from serving a 10-year sentence for her mother’s brutal second-degree murder to giving fans a look at life after lockup.
He amassed more than 10 million followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram, days after he was released from prison on Dec. 28.
Now, the 32-year-old — who rose to stardom thanks to the 2017 HBO documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” — is aiming to reinvent herself on social media, telling People that she wants to “create change” with her platform.
She has a 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 he can earn up to $100,000 per social media post through endorsement deals, brand partnerships and speaking engagements.
“Freedom’s first selfie,” is how Gypsy Rose Blanchard greeted fans on Instagram last week in a post that garnered more than 237,000 comments. @gypsyrose_a_blanchard Blanchard suffered years of childhood abuse — confined to a wheelchair and forced to use a feeding tube despite being healthy — at the hands of her mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. Courtesy of HBO
“With an engaged community — wanting to listen to the podcast, wanting to buy the book — Blanchard could make millions this year,” Olivia Rudensky, CEO of digital marketing firm Fanmade, told The Post.
“He has 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 including Miley Cyrus and Hailey Bieber.
“The internet loves to buy meme stuff. People are watching his every move … There are so many different content offerings at play.”
The hashtag #GypsyRoseBlanchard has 2 billion views on TikTok, and fans flooded Blanchard’s Instagram account when she was released from a Missouri prison last Friday, when she shared a smiling selfie in a hotel room with the caption: “Freedom’s first selfie!”
“You serve. Now it’s time to kill,” commented one fan.
Blanchard describes herself on TikTok as a “public figure/speaker, author, who advocates for Munchausen by Proxy awareness.” gypsyrose_a_blanchard and lifetimetv/Instagram Blanchard shared a photo of her locking lips with her new husband, Ryan Anderson, who she met while in prison. She also used the post to promote her new Lifetime series with the hashtag #ThePrisonConfessionsofGypsyRoseBlanchard. Instagram/@gypsyrose_a_blanchard Gypsy Rose Blanchard has amassed over 10 million followers on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram, days after she was released from prison on Dec. 28. circulation
Others praised Blanchard’s commitment to mental health.
“You look beautiful girl! I hope you take the time you need to adjust. Treat yourself well and know that many people wish you well in this new chapter,” wrote one commenter.
By Friday she had shared a photo of her locking lips with new husband Ryan Anderson, whom she met while in prison when she wrote to him in 2020, promoting her new Lifetime series with the hashtag #ThePrisonConfessionsofGypsyRoseBlanchard.
He gained 1.2 million followers on TikTok on Saturday, with a bio describing him as a “public figure/speaker, author, advocating for Munchausen by Proxy awareness.”
Munchausen by proxy syndrome is a psychological disorder in which parents exaggerate or fabricate their children’s illnesses for attention and sympathy.
Blanchard was promoting the release of her upcoming book, “Release: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom,” on January 9. Blanchard showed off her wedding ring to fans in an Instagram post. Instagram/@gypsyrose_a_blanchard
Blanchard suffered years of childhood abuse – confined to a wheelchair and forced to use a feeding tube despite being healthy – at the hands of her mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard.
As a girl and young woman, Blanchard was believed to have suffered from muscular dystrophy and leukemia among other ailments, and was shown by her mother to have brain damage from being born prematurely.
“People are looking for an explainer on Tiktok and being given an algorithm with all its fields,” Claudia Villarreal, chief creative officer and co-founder of Fanmade, told The Post.
“You can get stuck very quickly. Rarely do you have much of a back story. Everyone wants to talk about it.
“He has 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 his story. Instagram/Gypsy-Rose Blanchard-Anderson
“There’s a big difference between a social media influencer who says ‘buy this product’ and Gypsy — she doesn’t have to sell anything to get her audience to care about her. Being himself will be selling.”
On Sunday, Blanchard shared an avatar of herself in a crop top with her new Snapchat handle.
Her wedding group photo on Instagram garnered more than 11,000 comments — including a “yes diva” from singer (and Miley’s sister) Noah Cyrus, along with an offer from a New York City-based designer to make her a wedding dress.
“The real criminal community rarely has much to cheer about. This is interesting,” said Villarreal.
He added that there is a niche market for dark parenting survival stories, citing former Nickelodeon star Jeanette McCurdy’s memoir, “I’m Glad My Mother Died.”
Blanchard’s story, in the end, will sell itself, says Monique Lewis, who specializes in crisis response public relations: “It’s a sensation. Bad news will attract more people than good news.” AP
“[McCurdy]built a platform talking about the difficulties of living with his mother, surviving, doing a book deal the same way,” he said.
Arleigh Banner, CEO of lifestyle marketing and partnership agency Collab, told The Post that Blanchard had to work to create his image outside of his crimes to keep followers engaged.
“Building his brand image beyond the shock factor of his story is important. The key is to keep his new followers engaged and curious about his daily activities, opinions, product recommendations, fostering deeper relationships,” said Banner.
Some have scoffed at Blanchard’s newfound influence — criticizing him for trying to monetize his crimes — with one commenter spewing: “One is dead and another is in prison for life … no one should be celebrating this situation.”
But Blanchard’s story, in the end, will sell itself, says Monique Lewis, who specializes in crisis response public relations: “It’s a sensation. Bad news will attract more people than good news.”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
