One of Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s friends is shining a light on what may have led to her decision to separate from estranged husband Ryan Anderson.
In a new interview with People published Friday, April 5, tattoo artist Nadiya Vizier alleged that Blanchard, 32, locked herself in her bathroom in Lake Charles, Louisiana, as Anderson, 36, banged on the door late at night.
“He got in her face and screamed,” Vizier alleged of the altercation. She also claimed Anderson screamed “‘Let me in! Let me in!” before Blanchard called a relative to pick her up.
“Gypsy said that she was afraid he was going to hit her,” Vizier told the publication. “He didn’t — but that happened in the past with her mother. So, her first instinct was to tighten up and be prepared. But she got to safety and called her lawyer, too. Ryan is a big guy, and she told me it was really scary.”
Blanchard reportedly took her belongings and traveled to her father’s house in Cut Off, Louisiana, after the alleged incident.
Us Weekly has reached out to Anderson and Blanchard’s lawyer for comment.
On March 29, news broke that Blanchard was separating from Anderson after less than two years of marriage.
“People have been asking what is going on in my life. Unfortunately, my husband and I are going through a separation, and I moved in with my parents’ home down the bayou,” she wrote in a statement obtained by People from her private Facebook account. “I have the support of my family and friends to help guide me through this. I am learning to listen to my heart. Right now, I need time to let myself find … who I am.”
The pair first connected in 2020 when Anderson sent Blanchard a letter in prison. They officially tied the knot in a jailhouse ceremony in 2022.
Gypsy was released from prison in December 2023 after serving seven years for the murder of her mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard.
Dee Dee allegedly abused her daughter, claiming publicly that Gypsy suffered from a variety of medical conditions including leukemia, muscular dystrophy, brain damage and seizures. It was believed that Dee Dee suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, “a psychological disorder marked by attention-seeking behavior by a caregiver through those who are in their care,” per WebMD.
Following Dee Dee’s death, Gypsy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was granted parole in September 2023, which allowed her to be released in December of that year.
Gypsy and Dee Dee’s story has received the Hollywood treatment and was documented in various TV shows and movies, including HBO’s 2017 documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest and the 2019 Hulu miniseries The Act.
Since Gypsy announced her separation, she has been spotted hanging out with ex-fiancé Ken Urker. He has denied that anything romantic is going on.
“We have not had any intimacy,” Urker, 31, shared in a TikTok video captured by TMZ. “We’re just hanging out as friends.”