Gypsy Rose Blanchard Shared Bed and Bath with Her Mom

In her book titled “My Time To Stand,” Gypsy Rose Blanchard openly talks about how she and her mother used to take baths together, slept in the same bed, and basically did everything together. This reveals the extreme measures Dee Dee took to have control over Gypsy’s life.

Gypsy, who was born on July 27, 1991, experienced severe abuse and manipulation during her early years, all at the hands of her mother. Dee Dee is said to have had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental health condition where a caregiver fakes or induces illness in the person they are taking care of to attract attention or sympathy.

Dee Dee claimed that Gypsy suffered from numerous serious medical conditions, including leukemia, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, and developmental delays, convincing those around her that Gypsy was gravely ill. As a result, Gypsy endured countless unnecessary medical treatments and surgeries, including the removal of her teeth and salivary glands. Dee Dee also confined Gypsy to a wheelchair, insisting she was unable to walk, and inserted a feeding tube for fabricated nutritional needs. Gypsy was isolated from her extended family and the outside world, with Dee Dee exercising complete control over her life.

On June 14, 2015, Gypsy’s then boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, fatally stabbed Dee Dee in her sleep, a crime orchestrated with Gypsy’s involvement. Gypsy, who was present during the murder, later confessed that she believed it was her only way to escape her mother’s control. She was charged with second-degree murder and, after pleading guilty, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Godejohn, on the other hand, was convicted of first-degree murder and received a life sentence.

In her memoir, Gypsy openly revealed that she and her mother shared an unusually close bond, bathing together, sleeping in the same bed, and watching the same TV shows.

“Her interests in sci-fi and fantasy and ‘The People’s Court’ became my interests,” she recalled in her book. “When I showed my own curiosity for things separate from her, like Barbie dolls, she’d be there to deflect: ‘Now, you don’t want those dolls when you have so many stuffed animals to play with.’”

Gypsy explained that the title of her memoir holds special significance, symbolizing the first time she stood up and walked on her own.

“The first time I stood up on my own two feet was my first failed attempt to leave my mother. I had the legs of a chick struggling to find a way out of the cracks. Who hasn’t felt unsturdy like that in their own life?” she told PEOPLE ahead of the memoir’s release. “The second time I stood up, I walked down a path I’ll regret forever. Again, too many people feel this way about their choices.”

The 33-year-old added, “The third time I stood up, I did so as an incarcerated girl-woman who had so much to learn about independence, self-forgiveness and resilience. Only because I did the work, did my time to stand finally come. Now, I can stand with other victims as they take steps toward doing whatever work is necessary to stand for themselves.”

Ahead of the release, Gypsy opened up about her project, telling PEOPLE Magazine, “As a survivor desperate to figure out ways to inspire others to find hope, it’s necessary to face inward—to question, to be introspective.”

“In processing and retelling my memories, so much more truth has been revealed to me, including the victimization of the other people in my family and community,” Gypsy added. “I hope to engage readers by describing my journey, instead of explaining it. In that way, others might see themselves in my story, too, and relate.”

In her new memoir, the ex-convict sheds light on Munchausen syndrome by proxy while also recounting memories from her childhood.

“Only because I did the work, did my time to stand finally come,” Gypsy admitted. “Now, I can stand with other victims as they take steps toward doing whatever work is necessary to stand for themselves. ‘My Time to Stand’ is about reclaiming my footing so others can be inspired to walk a life of purpose and meaning and build a future sturdy enough so others can stand for something, too.”

“My Time To Stand” is out now.