Ryan Scott Anderson, a 37-year-old sixth grade social studies teacher, said he began writing to Gypsy in prison in 2020 as part of a deal with his friend, who wanted to write to Joe Exotic from the hit Netflix series “Tiger King.”
“‘Tiger King’ was very popular at the time. And so my friend said, ‘Oh, I really want to write Tiger King,'” Anderson said. “And I said, ‘OK, well, I’ll make a deal with you. You write Tiger King. I’ll write Gypsy Rose Blanchard.’ And that’s what happened.”
Gypsy said she admired Anderson’s sense of humor in his first letter to her. She revealed that she was in a relationship at the time, but quickly broke things off with her boyfriend so she could pursue a relationship with Anderson.
The pair wrote to each other for 14 months before Anderson met Blanchard at the Chillicothe Correctional Center, he said. On their third visit, Anderson proposed to Gypsy with an engagement ring he snuck into the prison by wearing it on a chain. Gypsy and Anderson married in a small prison ceremony on July 21, 2022, less than a month after obtaining their marriage license.
Gypsy’s father Rod and stepmother Kristy met Anderson shortly before the wedding. Although the family offered their support for the newlyweds, they also expressed their concerns with the pacing of the relationship and timing of the marriage.
“Ryan’s demeanor was very pleasant. Real sweet, good manners. And it makes me happy that she has somebody she can turn to,” Kristy said. “But, I said, ‘Gypsy, I’ll support what you want to do, but please don’t get married.’ Learn his habits, learn everything there is, just like he would need to learn with you. Walk out as a single woman or dating Ryan — don’t walk out married.”
Three months after the wedding, Kristy advised Gypsy to get an annulment when Gypsy and Anderson had an argument about Gypsy being in contact with an ex-boyfriend. Gypsy and Anderson, however, were able to work through their issues:
“I said, ‘I need help, I need therapy and I think that you do, too,’” Gypsy said. “So he got a therapist and he has gotten me a therapist. And that has been the last argument that we have had.”
As for Rod, he told Gypsy on a phone call, “I like Ryan; he seems pretty genuine. So if you really love each other, it’s going to work out and y’all gonna make it. You have to be in love with him, and you know, I wasn’t in love with your mom. Wish I would have, but you can’t force that. And it’s not always going to be easy. Just be strong for him when he’s weak, and he’ll be strong for you.”