As a child, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was medically abused by her own mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. The Act, on Hulu, portrays the true story of a horrific mother and daughter relationship. Joey King plays the role of Gypsy, and her mother is played by Patricia Arquette, as they dive into the accurately represented life of this small-town family.

Dee Dee had Munchausen Syndrome, a mental disorder which makes the person feel as if they need someone sick to take care of in order to fulfill their days. From the first months of Gypsy’s life, her mother had already been falsely diagnosing her with diseases she did not have. These lies carried on throughout Gypsy’s teenage years until she realized something was wrong and she did not have all the horrible ailments her mother said she did. Dee Dee used her child’s “sickness” to her advantage since she got medical healthcare from donation funds and organizations. At one point, Gypsy realized she could not take it anymore and is currently serving a 10-year jail sentence for a second-degree murder against her mother after 19 years of abuse.

The Act came out on Hulu on March 20, 2019, with new episodes premiering every week. The show has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and most viewers are completely invested in the true crime of what happened. King is able to identically replicate Blanchard’s behaviors and show the sides of her life that were never brought to light. Metaphorically, Blanchard was a prisoner in her own body and in an interview, she stated, “Behind bars is a better life then it was in my mother’s house.”

The show dives into all of the terrible things her mother made her do, such as lie to doctors, force her to be in a wheelchair for 14 years, and take up to 10 medications a day that only did harm to her body. According to her mother, she was allegedly suffering from leukemia, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, vision and hearing impairments, and seizures. Gypsy also received a wheelchair to help get around and a feeding tube for nutrition and her medications. Dee Dee would make her lie to doctors about her mental capacity, like being able to read or comprehend a quick conversation. Her mother also convinced her that she was paralyzed from the waist down and she would not be able to walk.

The Act is a very educational representation of the Blanchard’s life and is quickly spreading awareness of children who might be going through the same thing.