Gypsy Rose Blanchard Has A Message For Donald Trump Regarding Prison Reform
33-year-old has expressed an openness to meeting with to discuss potential reforms to the U.S. prison system, citing her own experiences and the need for better mental health advocacy for inmates.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was convicted in the 2015 killing of her mother, , spoke candidly to a photographer at LAX on Monday night.
When asked if she would consider sitting down with Trump at the White House for a conversation on prison reform, Gypsy responded enthusiastically, saying she would "absolutely welcome such an opportunity."
"I would have a lot to talk to him about," Gypsy said, per TMZ. "There needs to be better advocacy for mental health problems while in prison. I feel like too often the state just chucks them in prison."
Blanchard, whose harrowing story of abuse and eventual crime was chronicled in the Hulu series "The Act," underscored the importance of addressing mental health issues within the prison system. She recounted how, during her own incarceration, she had limited access to mental health resources, despite the severe trauma she endured at the hands of her mother.
This latest conversation comes after Gypsy sat down with to discuss prison reform.
In a candid conversation on an episode of "The Kardashians," the two discussed prison reform and reflected on Blanchard's complicated feelings surrounding her mother's death.
Kardashian, who has been a prominent advocate for criminal justice reform and is currently studying to become a lawyer, expressed her desire to help guide Blanchard in her potential journey into prison reform advocacy.
"I want to see what she wants to do in prison reform. I heard she wants to get in it, and I can guide her of exactly where to go and how she can help," Kardashian said.
Blanchard, who served seven years in prison, shared her regrets and reflections with Kardashian. "Now looking back on it, I'm like, I could have done things a lot differently, and it would have ended with my mother being in prison. Did she deserve prison? Yes," Blanchard admitted.
The 33-year-old opened up about her "complicated" emotions regarding her mother's death, describing how she often found solace in music while behind bars.
She revealed that she would listen to Dee Dee's favorite song, "My My My" by Rob Thomas, on her tablet in prison. "I would cry," Blanchard recalled. "My mom was a huge Matchbox Twenty fan. I would play some of their songs, and I would just allow myself that time to cry and grieve."
Blanchard explained how difficult it was to express her emotions openly in prison. "Sometimes I'd have to do it in the shower too because crying in prison, you're so vulnerable, especially women, they can be so catty," she said. "Their first go-to is, 'Well, you killed her, so why are you crying about it?'"
A lack of access to therapy while incarcerated added to the challenges Blanchard faced. She described how difficult it was to process the years of abuse she endured under her mother's care, which included Dee Dee's well-documented Munchausen by proxy, leading to years of unnecessary medical treatments and false claims about Blanchard's health.
Last year, Gypsy Rose Blanchard offered some words of wisdom to the Menendez brothers as they await a potential release from prison nearly 30 years after their conviction for killing their parents.
Blanchard spoke to TMZ, sharing her insights on life after prison and offering advice to Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were sentenced to life without parole in 1996 for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.
'It's very difficult to come out to a world that has changed so much even in the time that I spent,' Blanchard said. 'Reacclimating is a difficult thing. I would say take your time, you know, adjust properly and get therapy because you need it in this kind of world [and] day and age.'
Since her release, Blanchard has stayed in the public eye.
Two documentaries, "The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard" and "Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up," aired on Lifetime, delving into her life behind bars and her journey post-incarceration.
Blanchard, who also recently gave birth to her first child with boyfriend , announced her split from husband just three months after getting out of prison.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Epstein's Lawyer Reveals Whether The Sex Offender Had 'Damaging Information' On Trump After Elon Musk's Bold Claim
Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer has publicly addressed speculations that the deceased sex offender had compromising information on President Donald Trump. There's been an uproar on social media concerning the nature of Trump's relationship with Epstein after Elon Musk alleged the president was the reason why the files had not yet been released. Donald Trump and Elon Musk have suffered a broken relationship following his controversial One Big Beautiful Bill, and the tech guru has wasted no time in taking swipes at him. A lawyer for Jeffrey Epstein, David Schoen, has addressed speculations suggesting the disgraced financier had some dirt on President Donald Trump. According to TMZ, Schoen revealed that Epstein told him he did not have any dirt on Trump and that he would have used it if he did. Schoen said, "What I can say definitively is that I discussed this subject with Mr. Epstein at a time when it would have been in his best interests to implicate others, and he made clear that Donald Trump did nothing wrong and that he had no damaging information against him." The financier, who had ties to celebrities, politicians, and royalty, was arrested on multiple disturbing charges and was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges before he died by suicide in 2019. Although there are pictures making the rounds on social media in which Trump was seen partying with Epstein, Schoen maintained that he didn't do anything wrong. Taking to his X account, the attorney wrote: "I was hired to lead Jeffrey Epstein's defense as his criminal lawyer 9 days before he died. He sought my advice for months before that. I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that he had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!" In a reply to another tweet restating his claims, Schoen said he can "unequivocally" state that President Trump "never did anything wrong with Jeffrey Epstein." It comes after Elon Musk dropped the "bomb," alleging Trump was on Epstein's list and that was "the real reason they have not been made public." Trump and Musk enjoyed a working relationship prior to the November elections, after which the billionaire tech guru was given the mandate to spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), responsible for cutting federal government spending. However, they have now fallen out with each other following Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, which Musk has since labeled a "disgusting abomination." "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore," Musk wrote on X. "This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination." "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it," the billionaire continued, adding that the bill "will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America [sic] citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt." In another explosive tweet, Musk claimed that Trump couldn't have won the 2024 elections without him. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," Musk said. He added: "Such ingratitude." Meanwhile, Trump has maintained an unbothered perspective on Musk's disturbing allegations, telling CNN that he won't be speaking to him in the near future. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem. The poor guy's got a problem," Trump said. According to the news outlet, he was asked if he'd been on a call with the SpaceX boss, to which the president replied: "No. I won't be speaking to him for a while, I guess, but I wish him well." Trump previously maintained that he was still on the best of terms with Musk and that the tech billionaire is still a part of his team. "Elon is not really leaving," he said during Musk's send-off party last week. "He's going to be back and forth." The White House has thrown its weight behind the bill that has caused a fallout between Musk and Trump. The "Big, Beautiful Bill" was passed in late May ahead of Memorial Day, but was met with disapproval from two Republicans, citing insufficient spending cuts and rising national debt, per Fox News. "Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing when asked about Musk's criticism. "It doesn't change the president's opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill and he's sticking to it," she added.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
FIRST READING: What Carney's inner circle really thinks about oil and gas
First Reading is a Canadian politics newsletter curated by the National Post's own Tristin Hopper. To get an early version sent directly to your inbox, sign up here. After 10 years of the extremely anti-fossil fuel Trudeau government, the Canadian energy sector is suddenly optimistic that their future need not be one of managed decline. The government of Prime Minister Mark Carney keeps referring to Canada as an 'energy superpower' and is even raising the once-taboo subject of building new pipelines. As former Conservative resources minister Joe Oliver put it in a recent column for the Financial Post, the Liberals have been 'mugged by reality.' But Carney's inner circle contains more than a few figures who have been quite vocal about their distaste for oil and gas development, sometimes as little as a few months ago. Below, a quick summary of what Carney's team was saying before all the 'energy superpower' talk got started. Marc-Andre Blanchard Incoming chief of staff When Blanchard's appointment was announced this week, critics quickly seized on a 2023 interview in which he endorsed the end of any new Canadian fossil fuel development. Conservative MP Larry Brock, for one, told the House of Commons that the 'new chief of staff is hell-bent on shutting down oil and gas.' The interview was published by Net Zero Investor, and details Blanchard's efforts to decarbonize the portfolio of the Quebec pension fund CDPQ, where he was head of global sustainability. 'CDPQ's conviction is: It is essential not to contribute to increased oil and coal production and to focus on renewable and transition energies,' Blanchard said at the time, framing the move as one that was ultimately profitable for the fund. 'Over five years in equity markets, we made almost $1 billion more than if we had an oil exposure,' he said. The article also noted that CDPQ had held onto its natural gas holdings, with the reasoning that 'although the supply of renewable energy is growing, it is unable to meet all the current demand for energy.' Mark Carney Prime minister It was only a few months that Carney was still chair of Brookfield Asset Management, a firm with massive oil and gas holdings (in addition to its much-touted green energy portfolio). In 2021, for instance, a Brookfield subsidiary finalized the acquisition of Inter Pipeline Ltd., Canada's fourth largest pipeline company. But, as is well-known, Carney was also one of the world's most visible proponents of the concept of 'net zero,' a view he espoused as the United Nation's Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance. Carney's 2021 book Values gets into detail of his vision for the Canadian energy sector. He wrote that 'there will continue to be a place' for Canadian fossil fuels, but within a framework where 'the carbon footprint of our energy sources' goes down. Four years later, this somewhat contradictory view is much the same. In the space of just 30 seconds this week, Carney told a press conference that his government saw an 'oil pipeline … to tidewater' as an 'opportunity' — before adding that 'decarbonized barrels' of oil should be the priority. Tim Hodgson Minister of natural resources If Blanchard is being accused of being a 'keep it in the ground' zealot, Hodgson is the Carney government's leading counterweight. A May 23 speech Hodgson delivered to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce spoke of 'cutting red tape,' and contained no mention of the terms 'net zero' or 'decarbonization.' And the only time he mentioned 'climate change' was in a section where he suggested Canadian energy should be employed to 'displace' dirtier fuels overseas. 'By working with the energy sector to make investments that fight climate change, we can get more barrels to market while cutting carbon emissions,' he said. Still, Hodgson's first statements to the House of Commons show him hedging his bets on the central issue of new export pipelines. 'We will support new pipelines if there is a national consensus in favour of them,' he said on May 29. Julie Dabrusin Minister of environment and climate change Carney's new environment minister, Dabrusin, has been the MP for Toronto—Danforth since 2015, and replaces Steven Guilbeault, whose tenure was marked by open hostility to the energy sector. As Alberta Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said upon Guilbeault leaving the post, he had put 'an activist agenda ahead of the well being and economic health of Albertans and Canadians.' Nevertheless, Dabrusin is on record espousing many of Guilbeault's most controversial positions. This includes the 2024 boast that 'no other country' was placing an emissions cap on its petroleum sector — a statement that was quickly taken up by the Opposition as evidence that Canada was kneecapping its own energy production even as it continued unabated everywhere else. 'No other country has capped emissions from oil and gas production,' Dabrusin told the House of Commons in April, 2024. She's called carbon pricing the 'largest single tool we have to reduce emissions,' and in 2022 she said the future of the Canadian oil sector would be to lubricate windmills. 'Even in a net-zero world, we will always need oil for some things, and not just bike chain grease. We also need it to make lubricant for windmills. If members want to keep seeing latex gloves in our hospitals, we will always need oil,' she said. If parliamentary procedure is your thing, Monday was witness to an absolutely elite-tier operation by the Conservatives. After the Carney government swore repeatedly that they were too busy to prepare a budget until at least the fall, the House of Commons slipped through an amendment for them to do it anyway. On a routine House of Commons vote to accept the speech from the throne, the Conservatives threw in an amendment calling on the government 'to present to Parliament an economic update or budget this spring, before the House adjourns for the summer.' The NDP and the Bloc Québécois all voted yes on the amendment, causing it to pass 166 to the Liberals' 164 votes. The Liberals don't have to table a spring budget, but if they don't they'll technically be violating the terms of their own throne speech all of these insights and more into your inbox by signing up for the First Reading newsletter. Carney denounces 'unlawful and unjustified' doubling of U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum Liberals downplay narrowly lost vote demanding spring budget
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Richard Simmons' Longtime Home Is Put on the Market for $7 Million—1 Year After He Died Inside Historic Property
Late fitness guru Richard Simmons' longtime Los Angeles home has been put on the market for $7 million—one year after the reclusive Hollywood figure passed away inside the historic dwelling. Simmons, who shot to fame in the 1970s after launching a career as a fitness expert and weight loss guru, passed away at the age of 76 in July 2024, days after he celebrated his birthday. At the time, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that they had responded to a 911 call made by Simmons' housekeeper from his Hollywood Hills home, where they arrived to find the fitness guru had passed away. He was later determined to have died from natural causes. One month after his death, the family issued a statement, revealing that the L.A. Coroner's office revealed that Simmons had died from 'complications from recent falls,' adding that 'heart disease was a contributing factor.' 'The toxicology report was negative other than medication Richard had been prescribed,' the statement continued. 'The Family wishes to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support during this time of great loss.' Simmons' death quickly became the source of fervent speculation online—much of which pointed to the fact that the fitness expert had become increasingly reclusive in the 10 years leading up to his passing. Despite his once-prominent Hollywood profile, from 2014, Simmons was seen outside of his home on just a handful of occasions, although he maintained a close connection with his fans via regular Facebook updates in which he would offer glimpses into his life—while also sharing inspirational messages with his followers. The reason behind his disappearance became the source of intense media scrutiny, with a TMZ documentary entitled 'What Really Happened to Richard Simmons' claiming that his decision to step away from public life was the result of a longtime ailment that he had suffered with since birth. 'Something that happened to him at birth is directly connected to his disappearance — a birth defect that significantly affected one of his legs,' TMZ editor Fabian Garcia claimed in the documentary, according to the New York Post. 'He was born without a full set of bones in his foot and it causes physical and emotional problems.' In 2024, before his death, Simmons addressed the speculation about his disappearance in a social media post, urging his fans to pay no attention to the rumors. 'Don't believe everything you read. I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful,' he wrote. Still, Simmons' family faced continued scrutiny in the wake of his death, particularly after it was revealed that they had become embroiled in a bitter legal battle with the fitness guru's longtime housekeeper, Teresa Reveles. Two months after her boss's death, Reveles filed a petition with a Los Angeles court in which she claimed that she had been pressured into giving up her role as a co-trustee of his estate, accusing Simmons' brother, Lenny, and his wife, Cathy, of carrying out a 'nefarious scheme' to remove her from all future decisions about his finances. Lenny and his family quickly hit back at the claims, insisting that their only desire was 'protecting and maintaining' Simmons' legacy—while accusing Reveles of 'greed.' '[Richard] would be heartbroken to learn of Teresa's greed and insulted that she would diminish their three decades of supposed friendship in such a public way,' family spokesperson Tom Estey told People in a statement. 'Her actions threaten to harm Richard's incredible legacy, which we are working hard to preserve.' Lenny added in his own statement: 'First, I am solely interested in protecting and maintaining my brother's legacy. It was never my intention to play this out in public, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I have been forced to do so. 'Second, we have filed papers with the court that address and refute what Teresa has claimed. They also provide a brief summary of the reasons I declined Teresa's request to serve as co-trustee and my concerns about why she is proceeding with this litigation.' Lenny also accused Reveles of 'refusing to vacate' his brother's home—stating in court papers that she remained in the dwelling for 76 after his death and alleging that, when she did finally leave the property, she took $1 million worth of jewelry and 'other valuable pieces of fine art' with her. 'Although Teresa has her own home, she had a room in Richard's house that she refused to vacate after his death. When she finally did leave, 76 days later, she took almost $1 million of Richard's jewelry and other valuable pieces of fine art, which she has refused to return,' the court papers read, according to NewsNation. 'And, as discussed below, she participated in the effort to misappropriate the Trust's intellectual property. 'Teresa's counsel has not informed the Trustee whether Teresa intends to keep this property or return it. If she decides to try to keep it, the Trustee will have no choice but to file a petition to recover it, which is a clear reason she should not be Co-Trustee. 'The Trustee and his counsel need to appraise any property to be sold and may need to sell it to pay the taxes. Teresa should not be permitted to interfere with this process absent serious, legitimate concerns about the administration of the estate that do not exist here.' Now, Simmons' family appears ready to move on from the legal drama that ensued after his death—and are parting ways with the expansive dwelling, which he called home for several decades. According to property records, Simmons purchased the home in the 1980s and it is understood to have served as his main residence up until the time of his death. However, the dwelling, which was built in 1937, was transferred to a trust of which Lenny is the trustee, after the exercise guru's passed away The online listing calls attention to the property's illustrious history, describing it as the 'Richard Simmons Estate,' however the images reveal that almost every trace of its former owner has been cleared out—with just a few unique murals left in memory of its famous prior resident. Despite its impressive heritage, the listing also concedes that the property may well be viewed by prospective buyers as a tear down, stating that it presents 'a one-of-a-kind opportunity to own a landmark home or construct a new masterpiece.' New York City Luxury Market Booms With the Most Signings in a Single Week Since 2021 This City Struck Gold—by Paying Workers To Move There How To Add $15,000 Value to Your Home—by Spending Only $1,500
