What would the Kardashian-Jenner reality television empire be without a few surprises? Now in the fifth season of The Kardashians—the documentary-style series that shifts away from chronicling their day-to-day lives and further positions the matriarchy as business moguls—the family are proving how widespread their network reaches by featuring Gypsy Rose Blanchard. (Though we here at GRAZIA will always contend that Karl Lagerfeld’s appearance on Keeping Up With The Kardashians was the most surprising.)
Kim Kardashian meets Blanchard in a hotel room in a brief trailer for the season, teasing the moment the unexpected pair met. “Hi, Gypsy!” Kardashian says before they hug. Of course, for a show that typically sees Kardashian and her sisters shake salads or discuss relationships in their signature Valley Girl drawl, this crossover has piqued the interest of netizens curious to learn how the encounter came about. (They say the devil works hard but Kris Jenner works harder, and she certainly is to make us tune in to watch the conversation unfold!)
Watch Gypsy Rose Blanchard meet Kim Kardashian in the trailer for The Kardashians below:
Gypsy Rose Blanchard makes an appearance on the new season of ‘The Kardashians.’ https://t.co/3DHfg76Gct
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) May 23, 2024
Though Blanchard herself will soon be the subject of her own reality series, the social media sensation has taken it upon herself to share her ‘first’ experiences during life after lockdown. So while we wait for the segment to air, and watch on while the 32-year-old visits Erewhon and tries In’N’Out, keep reading ahead for everything to know about the subject of internet stan culture and why Gypsy Rose Blanchard makes a cameo on The Kardashians.
Who Is Gypsy Rose Blanchard?
Gypsy Rose Blanchard is a victim of Factitious disorder imposed on another—formerly, and more commonly, known as Munchausen-by-proxy—who was convicted of second-degree murder after killing her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. Blanchard was sentenced to prison where she served eight years before eventually being paroled in December 2023.
Blanchard alleged that she was medically, emotionally and physically abused by her mother after she spent the entirety of her childhood and early adulthood infantilising her and fabricating a multitude of illnesses. Blanchard was forced to undergo multiple unnecessary procedures, including the insertion of a feeding tube and removal of salivary glands, coerced into taking medication and was predominantly wheelchair-bound. Blanchard claims she was treated as a disabled child by her mother—despite the fact she was not sick nor ever needed medical intervention—in an attempt to garner sympathy and financial gain.
In 2015, Blanchard conspired with her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn to murder Dee Dee so she could escape the abuse, an act she vehemently regrets. Blanchard case is well known to true crime aficionados but became more prominent in the cultural zeitgeist after the fictionalised adaption of the murder in the television series The Act starring Joey King as Gypsy Rose and Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee. Upon her release from prison, Blanchard garnered millions of followers on TikTok and became the fixation of internet stan culture, with many flagrantly dubbing her their proverbial ‘mother’.
Why Is Gypsy Rose Blanchard On The Kardashians?
So, how did Gypsy Rose Blanchard come to befriend Kim Kardashian and earn a guest spot on their show? The most glaring connection is Kardashian’s interest and advocacy in prison reform. Kardashian first acknowledged Blanchard’s case in November 2023 after the former trainee lawyer promoted her 2017 documentary, Mommy Dead and Dearest, in her list of must-see true-crime series. Blanchard returned the favour by tweeting Kardashian, suggesting they should “unite forces together to make real change within the justice system”.
According to sources, Blanchard intended to meet with Kardashian and “pick her brain”. “Gypsy thinks Kim could provide guidance on how to navigate her newfound platform on social media, and use her voice to affect real change and advance her advocacy work,” TMZ reports.
The subject of their conversation won’t be apparent until the episode is broadcast, but Blanchard has thanked Kardashian for their discussion. “Surprise!” she said, sharing the snippet of their encounter. “This was such an honour to talk about prison reform with Kim K. She is a lovely person.”
The Kardashians is available to stream on Disney+.
