Hulu has officially released the gripping first two episodes of the highly anticipated series The Act, which depicts the murder of single mom Dee Dee Blanchard, and a web of lies involving her daughter, Gypsy Rose Blanchard. True crime fans are in for a nail-biting experience, as Joey King will be playing the role of Gypsy and Patricia Arquette will be portraying her slain mother.

The Act is based on a true story about Gypsy and her overprotective mother, Dee Dee, who made headlines in June 2015 when Dee Dee was found dead at their Missouri home. For many years, Dee Dee had treated her daughter like a helpless child, keeping Gypsy bound in a wheelchair — even feeding her through a tube. Gypsy was led to believe she was terminally ill.

Is The Act Based on a True Story
Brownie Harris/Hulu

It’s suspected that Dee Dee had Munchausen by proxy, which leads a person or caretaker to fake illness for “no obvious benefit other than attention or sympathy,” as addressed in journalist turned executive producer Michelle Dean’s Buzzfeed article.

According to the synopsis, “The first season follows Gypsy, a girl trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her overprotective mother. Her quest for independence opens a Pandora’s box of secrets, one that ultimately leads to murder.”

Over the course of the series, Gypsy falls for a guy online, Nick Godejohn, who ends up being a fundamental part of this story. After Dee Dee’s body is discovered, Gypsy and Nick are located in Wisconsin and they were both charged for her murder.

As of now, Gypsy is currently serving her 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. She’ll be eligible for parole at the end of 2023. Nick was found guilty in November 2018 of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole in February 2019.

The Act premieres March 20 on Hulu.

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