Gypsy-Rose Blanchard has baby on anniversary of prison release for killing her mother

When Gypsy-Rose Blanchard was younger her mother Dee Dee would tell her that she was seriously ill, in many ways - first telling her she had muscular dystrophy and needed walking aids, and then later insisting that she had to use a wheelchair.

Blanchard was a victim of Munchausen’s by proxy, when illness symptoms are imposed on someone else, often in a bid to gain sympathy.

Dee Dee also appeared on television with Gypsy-Rose several times to talk about the tribulations she faced - and benefited from charitable donations including a trip to Disneyland.

In 2015 Blanchard and a man called Nicholas Godejohn, whom she had met on a Christian singles website, murdered Dee Dee. The following year Gypsy-Rose admitted second degree murder and was sent to prison for 10 years.

Blanchard, now 33, was released from prison on December 28, 2023 and on December 28, 2024 had a baby girl, Aurora Raina Urker, with her boyfriend Ken Urker. People magazine says that the baby is healthy and weighed 6lbs 5oz.

Blanchard had already explained the name: "Both of us have a fascination with the Northern Lights, and the proper term is the Aurora Borealis," she told People earlier last month. She said that as a game she and Urker had previously independently written their future child’s name on a piece of paper - and both chosen Aurora.

What is Munchausen’s Disease?

Munchausen’s Disease is “a psychological condition where someone pretends to be ill or deliberately produces symptoms of illness in themselves”, says the NHS. While it can be manifest as attention-seeking, the little-understood condition is thought to have its roots in childhood trauma or a grudge against authority figures or healthcare professionals.

Munchausen’s by proxy is when these tendencies are carried out on someone else - most often a child.