The horrifying true story behind Gypsy Rose's boyfriend Scott in The Act

3 January 2024, 10:06

By Sam Prance

Scott in The Act is based on a man who groomed Gypsy Rose Blanchard online.

The Act introduces Scott to the Gypsy Rose Blanchard saga in episode 3 but did he really exist? The true story is horrifying.

The Act stars Joey King and Patricia Arquette and is based on the true story of Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard. Gypsy became the subject of international news in 2015, when it was reported that she was involved in the killing of her mother. Dee Dee famously abused Gypsy and forced her to pretend to suffer from multiple severe diseases before she died.

Scott appears in The Act in episode 3 and his storyline is very disturbing but what happened in real life is also very dark.

Who is Scott in The Act? Was he actually Gypsy Rose's boyfriend?

The Act: Was Scott really Gypsy Rose's boyfriend? The true story behind Joe Tippett's role. Picture: Hulu

In The Act episode 3, Gypsy rebels against her mum. Throughout the episode, she uses the internet at night in secret. When Dee Dee takes Gypsy to a comic book convention, Gypsy goes off on her own. Gypsy then bumps into an older man in his late 30s, Scott, who is dressed as Wolverine. The two of them flirt and Gypsy tells him that she is 18.

Dee Dee finds them and takes Gypsy home but the two exchange numbers. Later Gypsy steals cash from her mum and buys a phone without Dee Dee knowing. She then starts to text Scott frequently. All the while, he woos her and encourages her as she begins to fantasise about a life with him.

When Scott tells Gypsy that he is in hospital after a fight, she sneaks out of her home in disguise and visits him. Gypsy then accompanies Scott back to his home and they kiss, but Dee Dee interrupts them before they take things any further.

The whole episode is extremely difficult to watch. Mainly because it's obvious that Scott is grooming Gypsy. In the episode, she finds out that she is actually 19-years-old and that her mum has been lying to her and everyone in their life. That still doesn't take away from the fact that she is essentially a child and Scott preys on that.

Did Scott in The Act exist?

Scott never actually existed but he is based on a real life person who also groomed Gypsy. In 2016, Buzzfeed reported that Gypsy met a 35-year-old man at a science fiction convention and they "began communicating online".

The man then took Gypsy back to his hotel room. However, Dee Dee found them and showed them newspapers claiming that she was a minor and ended their relationship there and then.

Gypsy was actually 19 at the time and an adult but, given the context of her story, it's obvious that she was taken advantage of and groomed to a certain extent. She just wanted to escape her life and was discovering her sexuality. Gypsy later began dating a man online called Nick Godejohn. Gypsy then asked Nick to murder Dee Dee so that the two of them could elope.

Who is Gypsy Rose Blanchard's husband?

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is now married to a man named Ryan Scott Anderson who is a teacher from Louisiana. Ryan sent Gypsy a letter after watching her documentary and the two later became pen pals before meeting in 2020 and marrying each other in 2022.

Now, that Gypsy has been released from prison, she lives with Ryan.