All-New ‘20/20’ Features Deep Dive Into the Dee Dee and Gypsy-Rose Blanchard Story of Murder, Family, Abuse, Romance and Deception

For over a decade, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard lived in a wheelchair and allegedly suffered from multiple medical issues, including leukemia, seizures and muscular dystrophy. Known in her community as a local hero, Gypsy and her mother, Dee Dee, spoke at conferences, met celebrities, and even received a home from Habitat for Humanity. However, everything changed in 2015, when police discovered Dee Dee stabbed to death in her home and named Gypsy and her secret boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, as the main suspects. In a case that reverberated across the nation, experts revealed that this was likely a case of Munchausen by proxy, a form of abuse, usually by a parent to their child, in which a guardian exaggerates or induces illness in a child often motivated by a desire for attention and sympathy — Gypsy says she was a healthy young woman. In a new “20/20,” co-anchor Deborah Roberts sits down with Gypsy one week after her release from prison to talk about life behind bars, her reckoning with her past, and how she is dealing with her newfound fame.

The two-hour program includes an exclusive interview with Lt. Stan Hancock, the lead detective on the case. The program also features interviews with Sheriff Jim Arnott; Mike Stanfield, Gypsy’s defense attorney; Rod and Kristy Blanchard, Gypsy’s father and stepmother; Aleah Woodmansee, Gypsy’s neighbor and friend; and Dr. Bernardo Flasterstein, a pediatric neurologist who treated Gypsy and suspected Munchausen by proxy. Additional interviews include Dr. Mary Sanders, a Stanford professor and leading expert on Munchausen by proxy abuse, and EJ Dickson, a writer for Rolling Stone who reported on the case. “20/20” airs on Friday, Jan. 26 (9:01-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC, next day on Hulu.

ABC News’ “20/20” is an award-winning primetime program anchored by David Muir and Deborah Roberts. A proven leader as a long-form newsmagazine for over 45 years, “20/20” features unforgettable, character-driven true-crime mysteries, exclusive newsmaker interviews, hard-hitting investigative reports and in-depth coverage of high-profile stories. Janice Johnston is the executive producer. The two-hour “20/20” events air Fridays from 9:01-11:00 p.m. EST on ABC and are available to stream on ABC News digital platforms and Hulu.

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Sarah Jautz
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Bridgette Maney
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