Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a woman infamous for her role in the tragic murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, captivated the public’s attention for months during her arrest and trial in 2016. After serving nearly eight of her 10-year prison sentence, she found love. Gypsy Blanchard’s whirlwind romance with beau Ryan Anderson continued until its culmination in a jailhouse marriage ceremony in June 2022. Despite the odds, their union seemed unbreakable, but it didn’t last. Now, Gypsy Rose is expecting her first child with her ex-fiancée Ken Urker. So that begs the question: when did she and Ryan break up?
Ryan Anderson: pen pal and prison love
Ryan Scott Anderson was a sixth-grade social studies teacher from Louisiana when he entered Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s life through a letter — a connection forged in the unlikeliest of circumstances. As Gypsy served her prison sentence for her role in her mother’s murder, Ryan reached out to her. His genuine words and sharp sense of humor caught her attention. In her own words, “The thing that stuck out the most about Ryan’s letter is not only how genuine it came across, but also how funny he is.”
Their correspondence blossomed into something more. When Gypsy was released on parole, Ryan was there, waiting to pick her up. Although they had married in a jailhouse ceremony in 2022, Gypsy once explained how she wished to get married to Ryan again and start a family with him. But life outside prison proved challenging, and their relationship soon began to come apart.
The separation
On April 3, TMZ published a piece reportedly from sources close to Gypsy Rose and Ryan Anderson, explaining how and why the couple had split. According to the sources, Gypsy confided in her family and friends that Ryan had become increasingly argumentative following her release from prison, making her feel incompetent in almost everything she did. The tensions in their relationship were further exacerbated by Ryan’s jealousy over Gypsy spending time with her father.
Sometime in late March 2024, just three months after Gypsy’s release from prison, one of these arguments reportedly took a dark turn and ended with Gypsy reportedly locking herself in the bathroom, afraid of her husband’s rage. Ryan Anderson, who physically towers over Gypsy’s small figure, allegedly pounded on the door, demanding entry.
Gypsy’s close friend, Nadiya Vizier, also revealed to PEOPLE that Gypsy was terrified he might hit her, an experience she was quite familiar with at the hands of her abusive late mother. When the reportedly irate Anderson had calmed down, Gypsy called a close relative to come pick her up, ending the marriage. Gypsy then reportedly moved to her father’s home in Cut Off, Louisiana.