Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Connection to Southeastern New England

The world just can’t get enough of the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, recently released from prison after serving eight and a half years for second degree murder in the killing of her mother Dee Dee Blanchard.

Although Gypsy’s story was told in the 2017 documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, 2019’s dramatic retelling The Act, and numerous other programs, it’s the recently-released Lifetime docuseries The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard that revealed a connection to Southeastern New England.

The Blanchard family hails from Louisiana; Gypsy and Dee Dee relocated to Missouri following Hurricane Katrina, while Gypsy’s father Rod remained in Louisiana with his new wife Kristy and their two children.

However, as The Prison Confessions revealed, Rod Blanchard is frequently in Rhode Island due to the nature of his work.

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In the second episode of the series, Rod is seen in North Kingstown, Rhode Island (incorrectly spelled on the title card as “North Kingston”). He explains that he works on a ship to support his family.

“I work 28 days on the ship, 28 days at home,” he said.

Rod’s LinkedIn page lists him as a “Ship Master/DPO at Edison Chouest Offshore” since July 2013.

Essentially, he’s a ship captain for Edison Chouest Offshore, which is described on its website as “recognized worldwide for diverse and dynamic marine transportation solutions.”

He’s apparently worked his way up through the company since joining the company in 2003 and working in the Gulf of Mexico.

Considering Rod Blanchard is usually only here for work, it’s unlikely Gypsy Rose will be spotted in the Ocean State anytime soon – but we know she’s a Taylor Swift fan, so perhaps she might want to make a trip up to Watch Hill at some point.