Hulu's 'The Act' Will Explore Why Munchausen by Proxy Victim Gypsy Rose Blanchard Killed Mother

On March 20, Hulu will release an anthology crime series called “The Act” that will focus on “startling, stranger-than-fiction true crime stories.”

Season one will focus on the widely-publicized story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a childhood abuse victim who plotted the murder her mother, Dee Dee, with her then-boyfriend in June 2015.

Gypsy Rose was the victim of her mother’s alleged Munchausen syndrome by proxy (now called factitious disorder imposed on another), a mental illness that leads a caregiver to act as if the individual he or she is caring for has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick. Perpetrators of this rare form of medical and child abuse are typically mothers.

In Gypsy’s case, her mother Dee Dee convinced neighbors and friends she had medical conditions she did not actually have. Gypsy Rose was forced to undergo unnecessary surgeries, use a feeding tube and wheelchair (though she could eat and walk unaided) and was given medications for conditions she didn’t have.

This isn’t the first time the tragic story has been adapted. In May of 2017, HBO released a documentary called “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and last year, Investigation Discovery released a documentary called “Gypsy’s Revenge,” which featured interviews with Gypsy Rose herself from behind bars in Missouri, where she is serving a 10-year prison sentence.

“The Act” will be available for streaming on Hulu starting March 20. You can watch the trailer here.

If you or a loved one is affected by domestic violence or emotional abuse and need help, call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. To connect with other trauma survivors, download our free app and post using the hashtag #TraumaSurvivors.