The story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is both tragic and gruesome; although we’ve been given some light into her new life as a free woman after being granted parole to reduce her ten-year sentence, how she spent the past eight years in prison is mostly unknown to many.
One week after her release, Gypsy Rose is all about experiencing life at its most, and part of it involves having a thorough press tour to promote her new Lifetime docuseries, The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose. As we all know, Gypsy Rose married Ryan Anderson in 2022, and of course, everybody wants to know everything about their love story.
During the tons of interviews she’s been doing, Gypsy Rose explained that she met Anderson through correspondence while she was still serving at the Chillicothe Correctional Center. However turns out he wasn’t the only one wanting to date her, as revealed by Gypsy herself “Over 250 men from all countries” wrote to her,” including Ryan Anderson.
“Well, Ryan’s from Louisiana, and I’m originally from Louisiana. When I saw that, I was kinda like, ‘Hey, someone from my home state,’ so I wrote him a letter back. We became friends and, of course, more than friends, and then now we’re married,” explained Gypsy Rose in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. But there’s something darker lying beneath this; we could be talking about a clear example of hybristophilia.
What Is Hybristophilia?
Coined by psychologist John Money, hybristophilia is a relatively uncommon phenomenon involving an attraction to people who have committed crimes, particularly violent or dangerous ones like Gypsy’s. It’s not just about any criminal behavior, hybristophilia specifically involves attraction to individuals who have committed some kind of outrageous act, like murder.
This attraction and, in some cases obsession, can manifest in various ways, from fantasies and fetishes to intense emotional attachment and desire. Now, although it’s a rare phenomenon, hybristophilia is generally observed more often in women than in men. Researchers speculate this could be due to power dynamics, the idea of women seeking protection, or even media portrayals of romanticized criminals.
This could explain why over 250 men didn’t hesitate to write to Gypsy Rose even if they didn’t know her at all. Moreover, this isn’t the only case registered; Ted Bundy, another very high-profile criminal, would receive constant letters from women who find him extremely handsome despite knowing all the horror she had committed against women! Jeffrey Dahmer was also known for having a very loyal fan base.
So, although hybristophilia itself is not classified as a mental disorder if it causes significant distress or interferes with daily life, it might be considered paraphilia. The fact that this is only coming out now proves that, in the case of Gypsy Rose, this isn’t the end of the story, as many people might still be quite obsessed with her, and not for the right reasons. Let not forget that this might be happening also to Gypsy’s former boyfriend and accomplice Nicholas Godejohn.
