Gypsy Rose Blanchard Sues Blogger, Requests Temporary Restraining Order

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is going after blogger April Johns for defamation, fraud, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment.

The 32-year-old, who was released from prison in December 2023 after pleading guilty to the second-degree murder of her mother, allegedly linked up with April Johns (AKA Franchesca Macelli) shortly after Gypsy arrived at Chillicothe Correctional, per documents obtained by The Blast.

The two reportedly had a contract, but Gypsy Rose Blanchard is now suing April Johns, citing fraud and defamation.

According to the complaint filed by Gypsy Rose Blanchard and obtained by The Blast, Gypsy Rose Blanchard,  her father Rod Blanchard, and stepmother Kristy Blanchard were contacted by a woman calling herself “Franchesca Macelli," whose real name is April Johns, about hiring her production company “Mad Ginger Entertainment” to produce media projects on Gypsy’s behalf.

Per the suit, Franchesca/April purported to be an "up and coming producer" with her own production company, claiming she had experience in the entertainment industry. She also said she had "the resources and expertise to bring media projects to fruition that would be financially beneficial" to Gypsy and her family.

Gypsy claims Franchesca/April presented them with a document titled "Life Rights Option Agreement" wherein she would "obtain a one-year option, renewable for an additional year, for the life rights to Gypsy’s story and set out parameters for payment of 'Net Profits' upon the production of said media projects."

At the time Franchesca/April approached Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her family, Gypsy was serving her sentence in prison and had little formal education due to the abuse she endured from her mother.

As The Blast previously reported, Gypsy is believed to be a victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental illness where a caretaker of a child, most often a mother, either makes up fake symptoms or causes real symptoms to make it look like the child is sick.

Gypsy ended up signing the agreement and then "had countless conversations" with Franchesca/April "regarding [her life] and the circumstances of the murder."

The suit also says that Gypsy, Rod, and Kristy provided the criminal case discovery, including "crime scene photos, police videos, court transcripts, family photos/videos and Gypsy’s private, protected medical records.)"

These were supposed to be used for the alleged project, but the 32-year-old says that never happened

In 2019, Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her family were "not able to secure any media projects or produce any marketable content." That, combined with the blogger allegedly becoming confrontational over Gypsy’s relationship with her fiancé Ken Urker, the ex-convict decided to cut ties with Franchesca/April.

"Over the next three and half years, Franchesca/April continued to create content about Gypsy’s case," the suit stated. "These came in the form of posts, comments, videos, podcasts, interviews, etc. on numerous social media and streaming platforms."

The blogger used "internet and social media platforms including, but not limited to, TikTok, Instagram, Patreon, YouTube, Facebook, and Facebook Messenger" to "create 'true crime' content."

Franchesca/April claimed that Gypsy and the Blanchard family were “hiding things,” and dubbed herself as the “foremost expert” on Gypsy and that she was the only one to have the full story.

One of Franchesca/April's Facebook posts about Gypsy Rose Blanchard allegedly stated:

“Cancer???? This boils my f-cking blood. Tbh!!!! Call it obsession fine I'm obsessed with the fact a murderer and her lying, con artist step mother are conning the world one paycheck at a time!!! I am disappointed in our society and feel humanity is failing!!!! Credit to CJ for the video!"

In another post, she claimed, “I know anytime the Blanchard's are involved, no truth will be told," per the suit.

Franchesca/April also posted an article in which she claimed Gypsy Rose Blanchard said her “big goal was to meet Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce”. The title of this post was “And the scam just continues…”

The suit further states that Gypsy Rose Blanchard is requesting preliminary and permanent injunction and is suing April Johns (AKA Franchesca Macelli) for fraud, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, false light, and defamation.

Gypsy is also requesting a temporary restraining order, alleging the blogger "continues to cause immediate irreparable harm" to herself and her father and stepmother.