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Gypsy is currently not quite three years into a ten-year sentence for second-degree murder.
Godejohn wasrecently sentencedto life in prison without parole for first-degree murder.
This year, the inevitable TV dramatizations materialized, starting in January with Lifetimes heavily fictionalizedLove You to Death.
Two months later, Hulu premiered its hotly tipped eight-part seriesThe Act.
When did your relationship with Michelle Dean andThe Acts producers begin to become estranged?
Because I had sent her a text telling her, Whats going on?
We havent heard from you.
And Im like, Seriously?
Franchesca Macelli:Ive tried to reach out in the past and got no response whatsoever.
Ive had the life rights signed by Gypsy and Rod and Kristy since June of 2017.
I came down to see you and spent time with you and the family.
I also interviewed all of Dee Dees family and got cooperation with them.
I think she did not want to be inhibited by Kristy or Rod or Gypsy in any way.
Michelle has been rather underhanded in the ways she has gone about this.
Blanchard:She promised me.
She is the total opposite of that.
Youre referring to scenes where shes hanging out with friends and smoking?
Blanchard:Yeah, and handing the joint or whatever it was to Gypsy.
That really shook Aleah up, and I dont blame her.
Its confusing people into believing this narrative, instead of taking the time to tell the truthful story.
Franchesca, why should people accept at face value that your intentions are pure?
I have all the medical documents, the entire files from the police reports.
I reached out on numerous occasions to the Godejohn family and have finally garnered an interview with them.
So through that it would show my intention is different, that I am really about the truth.
Blanchard:And Franchesca and I talk every day.
Macelli:Will I make money?
But will I make millions of dollars?
No, I wont.
Or possibly pursue legal action againstThe Acts creatorsas has been reported?
Blanchard:If theyre gonna do a show, the whole truth needs to be out there.
It goes so much further than Dee Dee and Gypsy.
It goes back to the way Dee Dee was raised and stuff like that.
We have agreed to tell the good, the bad, the ugly, everything.
She wants her truth.
She just cut off communication.
Michelle has done us dirty.
You dont allow for any chance that forces beyond her control tied her hands?
Blanchard:Shes a co-produer.
Macelli:Yes, she could have had her hands tied, but theres an integrity level to that.
She also could have turned down an offer.
But she also did not have to turn on the Blanchards and cut off communication.
So in terms of timeline, Michelle knew you were working onBy ProxybeforeThe Actwas announced?
She chose to go ahead with what she was doing.
What, then, have been the obstacles in gettingBy Proxyto move ahead?
Macelli:Weve taken a different approach.
One of the things that was important to me is that I chose that I wouldnt sell out.
Would going forward with a potential lawsuit be one way to provide that independent funding?
And [it] was from her own place of anger and disappointment and frustration.
We had discussed, well, is there anything legally we could or couldnt do?
Macelli:Well, who wouldnt?
But nobody is taking legal action.
Blanchard:Right, no one is.
Macelli:And our legal action that we would even consider isnt necessarily money-focused.
It would be to maybe stop the airing of the show or get the story correct.
Blanchard:Make a wrong a right.
Macelli:Nowhere did anyone say, Oh were gonna sue em and get a bunch of money.
Thats somebody whos been sheltered and has no idea how the real world works.
We just have to wait and see how we feel about it after weve watched everything.
Blanchard:Its nothing major.
That came from Dee Dee.
Dee Dee was wanted for check fraud long before she ever left the bayou.
And Michelle knows that.
The series does portray Dee Dees fraudulent past in later episodes.
As Kristy said, this goes way back.
[Dee Dee] didnt start out as an evil person.
Macelli:She was a good person.
Its more of a family story were going for as opposed to true crime.
So well probably reach out to him and get that in the mix, because it all links in.
Macelli:I dont look atThe Actor the Lifetime movie as competition or a deterrent.
I never thought I was competing with Michelle or anyone else.
I told Kristy, even the information I get from you is skewed.
So how can we put everyones story together and make this as accurate as we possibly can?
That was our take.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
