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Amanda Knox says Gypsy Rose Blanchard is not yet free — and her mother ‘had it coming’

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Amanda Knox says Gypsy Rose Blanchard is not yet free — and her mother ‘had it coming’

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Amanda Knox has said that Gypsy Rose Blanchard is not yet free and that her mother, who was fatally stabbed by Blanchard’s boyfriend, “had it coming” for the years of abuse she inflicted upon her daughter.

Knox, who was wrongfully convicted of killing her roommate, Meredith Kercher, in Italy in 2007, made the statements in a piece she penned for The Free Press on Saturday in which she revealed her own difficulties in trying to return to a normal life after being freed from prison in 2011 and fully exonerated. 

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Gypsy Rose Blanchard, 32, was released from prison late last month having pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016, when she was 24, for her role in plotting to kill her abusive mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, in their Missouri home in 2015 with help from her former boyfriend at the time.

Amanda Knox and Gypsy Rose Blanchard  ( Lou Rocco/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

GYPSY ROSE BLANCHARD TELLS ALL: TOP REVELATIONS IN NEW BOOK ABOUT PLOT TO HELP KILL MOTHER

Gypsy Rose’s case, and documentaries on her story, have propelled her into the spotlight, and she has amassed millions of followers online, seemingly overnight.

And while she was freed on Dec. 28, Knox believes that the public persona of Gypsy Rose, and the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death, may be difficult to overcome. 

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“She may not yet realize that she has entered a new kind of prison: the prison of public opinion,” Knox wrote. “When I look at Gypsy, even though she was guilty and I was innocent, I see she is blundering into freedom in the exact same way as I did.”

“It’s taken me over a decade to finally feel like I’m in control of my life, no longer trapped by my own story. I’ve learned that I am more than the worst thing that ever happened to me, but where there is value in sharing my story with others, I’m entitled to do so,” Knox wrote. “The same goes for Gypsy. She is more than the horrible abuse she suffered, she is more than a conspirator to murder. And now that she’s admitted to what she’s done and served her time, she doesn’t owe anybody anything.”

Experts believe Blanchard’s mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, had Munchausen Syndrome by proxy, a psychological illness in which a person — in this case, Dee Dee — pretends another person — Gypsy — is ill in an effort to receive attention or material items out of sympathy for the victim. (Investigation Discovery)

GYPSY ROSE BLANCHARD ALLEGES GRANDFATHER ASSAULTED HER AS A CHILD

Experts believe Dee Dee Blanchard had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological illness in which she projected fake illnesses onto her daughter in an effort to receive attention or material items out of sympathy for the victim. 

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Dee Dee convinced Gypsy that she had a litany of illnesses, including leukemia, and was years younger than her actual age. She also forced her daughter to sit in a wheelchair, made her take medication she did not need, shaved her hair, removed her teeth and fed her through a tube in her stomach.

Blanchard and her ex-boyfriend, Nicholas Paul Godejohn, were arrested in connection with Dee Dee’s fatal stabbing in 2015. The next year, Blanchard was sentenced to a decade behind bars, while Godejohn was sentenced to life. 

“If you know anything about Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s case…you know that 48-year-old Clauddine ‘Dee Dee’ Blanchard had it coming,” Knox wrote.

“Gypsy may not realize that many people admire her not because she admits that what she did was wrong or even because she survived and escaped horrific abuse, but because, deep down, they feel that Dee Dee deserved to be murdered.”

Dee Dee convinced Gypsy that she had a litany of illnesses, including leukemia, and was years younger than her actual age.  (Lifetime/A&E)

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Knox and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted of the murder and sexual assault of her former roommate, Kercher. She was acquitted in 2011 after spending four years in custody. In 2008, Rudy Hermann Guede, an immigrant from the Ivory Coast, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the death of Kercher and was released in 2021.

GYPSY ROSE BLANCHARD TAKES TO SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER PRISON RELEASE: ‘FINALLY FREE’

“When I emerged from prison it was into a world that had already decided who I was, what I’d done, and what I deserved,” Knox wrote. “I’ve been free for over twelve years, and I’m still wrestling back my name. Now, Gypsy will have to do the same.”

Knox shared how the public and the media painted a particular picture of her character as a “femme fatale” while certain journalists asked her unpleasant and invasive questions, even though she was innocent of the charges in the case. 

“Gypsy’s story is perfect fodder for our twisted media environment that caters almost pornographically to our voyeuristic and judgmental tendencies, especially when women are the victims or perpetrators of violence. I know from experience,” Knox wrote.

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Amanda Knox breaks down in tears after hearing the verdict that overturns her conviction and acquits her of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher, at the Perugia court on October 3, 2011, in Perugia, Italy.  (Tiziana Fabi – Pool)

Knox said that she needed to transcend the image of being “the girl accused of murder” and had to discuss parts of her case in public, but at the same time chose to keep much of her personal life private. She said that Gypsy Rose would face similar dilemmas. 

“It will take time for Gypsy to learn who she is on the other side of the tragedy that turned her into a household name,” Knox wrote.

“There’s a freedom to be found in keeping that growth and healing private.”

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Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.

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Cleveland, OH

Third wave of No Kings Day protests take over northeast Ohio

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Third wave of No Kings Day protests take over northeast Ohio


CLEVELAND — Thousands of people braved the cold in downtown Cleveland for the third wave of “No Kings Day” demonstrations against the Trump administration.

This time, protestors said, the stakes are higher than ever.


What You Need To Know

  • More than 3,000 “No Kings Day” protests are taking place around the state and country

  • The movement began a few months after the start of the President Donald Trump’s second term, going against what many perceived as authoritarian actions at the White House

  • The nationwide mobilization is predicted to be one of the largest in United States history


Community members and activists joined at the Free Stamp in Willard Park and marched alongside Lakeside Avenue and around Cleveland Public Square on Saturday. Demonstrators said they’re rallying against the Trump administration’s escalation of federal immigration enforcement tactics and rocky global economy amid the country’s war with Iran.

Protestor Fidel Swain who served 15 years in the US Air Force. (Spectrum News 1/Tanya Velazquez)

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U.S. Military Veteran Fidel Swain said he’s marching for the rights of all Americans.

“We’re really concerned with what’s going on in the country today as far as this current administration,” Swain said. “They all seem to not follow the principles and ideas of the working class and just most Americans, which is law, order.”

Northeast Ohio resident Charlotte Hartman also stood among the crowd of demonstrators. She said she attended the two previous No Kings Day protests in Strongsville.

Today, Hartman said, she’s standing in solidarity with all marginalized groups.

(L-R) Protestors Elaine Wheaton, Charlotte Hartman, and Michele Murphy.

(L-R) Protestors Elaine Wheaton, Charlotte Hartman, and Michele Murphy. (Spectrum News 1/Tanya Velazquez)

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“The way he treats people and minorities, the way he treats handicapped people … They don’t seem to be any care or concern for anybody,” Hartman said.

Hartman was joined by Elaine Wheaton, who said she hopes the demonstration will help unite Americans, despite ideological differences.

“We’re hoping that some of the people that voted for Trump before might be changing their mind,” Wheaton said. “He’s getting a little too overboard … I have no problem with Republican presidents like Reagan or Bush or whatever, but it’s not that he’s Republican. It’s just that he’s a bad human.”

The White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson sent a statement to Spectrum News dismissing Saturday’s protest. She wrote, “The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them.”

The first No Kings Day protest in June included around 5 million participants, while the second event in the fall drew in around 7 million people.

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While speaking about the No Kings Day protests in October, Trump told Fox business that he’s “not a king.”



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Illinois

How to buy Illinois Final Four gear, hats, shirts, hoodies, more

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How to buy Illinois Final Four gear, hats, shirts, hoodies, more


No. 3 Illinois knocked off No. 9 Iowa on Saturday night in Houston, now they’re advancing to the Final Four in the men’s NCAA Tournament.

The Fighting Illini pulled away late and ended their the Hawkeye’s Cinderella run in the Elite Eight with a 71-59 victory.

SHOP: Illinois Final Four tickets

Illinois fans know this is special, it’s the team’s first Final Four appearance since 2005, so now it’s time to celebrate.

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Get the gear the players wore on the court, including Illinois Final Four hats, Illinois Final Four shirts, and more.

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Illinois Final Four game location

Illinois will play its Final Four game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Get your Illinois Final Four NCAA Tournament tickets now.

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Illinois Final Four appearances

The last time the Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team made the Final Four was in 2005. They also made it in 1989, 1952, 1951 and 1949.

When is the Final Four?

The 2026 NCAA Tournament concludes with the Final Four on Saturday, April 4 and the National Championship game on Monday, April 6. Saturday’s games are scheduled for 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET respectively, while the National Championship game is set to tip at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 6.

March Madness 2026 full schedule for the men’s tournament

  • March 19-20: First round
  • March 21-22: Second round
  • March 26-27: Sweet 16
  • March 28-29: Elite 8
  • April 4-5: Final Four
  • April 6: National Championship

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Indiana

Young male dead after shooting on Indy’s northeast side

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Young male dead after shooting on Indy’s northeast side


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police say one “young man” is dead after a shooting at the 1200 block of Rue Rabelais at about 7:19 p.m. according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

That is near the intersection of 56th Street and Binford Boulevard.

Police say the victim was taken to Riley Hospital where he later died. Investigators say they are still working to identify the victim.

There was no known information about a suspect. Police did say that they believe this is a targeted incident.

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There was no other information immediately available.

This story has been updated with information from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.



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