It’s no secret that Vanderpump Rules alum Stassi Schroeder has an infatuation with all things horror — so it’s no surprise she’s somewhat linked to one of the most famous murder cases in recent years.
According to Dr. Adina Newman, a professional genealogist and self-proclaimed Bravoholic, Schroeder is distantly related to Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was recently released from prison after serving nearly a decade for helping her ex-boyfriend orchestrate her mother’s murder.
Earlier this week, Newman wrote on Instagram that she spent “the whole day” researching Blanchard’s family tree, more specifically her mother, Dee Dee’s, side. And what did she find? That the convicted felon and ex-reality star are related in a “bazillion different ways.”
“If you know anything about Cajuns and Acadians, they are endogamous, a small founder population and keeping it within the family for generations,” she wrote. “Quickly, I started to see some family names from @stassischroeder’s paternal grandmother’s side that go back to Acadia.”
According to Newman, the two women are related through “Antoine Bourg (c.1609-c.1687) and Antoinette Landry (c.1618-c.1693), progenitors of the Bourg line in Acadia,” meaning, “Stassi and Gypsy Rose are at minimum 11th cousins, [while] Stassi is 10th cousins once removed with Dee Dee.”
Schroeder caught wind of the family tree and commented, “Omg I’m unwell,” along with a series of laughing, skull and tombstone emojis. When Newman wrote, “I love this for you,” Schroeder replied, “Seriously wild. What a way to end the year.”
However, the New York Times bestselling author isn’t the only Vanderpump Rules cast member who is related to Blanchard. In fact, Newman revealed that Katie Maloney, who shares a bloodline with Schroeder, is also a cousin of the inspiration behind Hulu‘s The Act.
“Stassi and Katie are more closely related on this line, sharing ancestors Michel Bourg (c.1666-c.1721) and Elizabeth Melanson (c.1673-c.1724); they are 9th cousins once removed,” Newman explained to her 14,000 followers. “That means Katie is also related to Gypsy Rose Blanchard! Gypsy is 11th cousins once removed with Katie and [11th] cousins with Stassi.”
Blanchard has been making headlines after her early release from prison. Back in 2015, she asked her then-boyfriend Nick Godejohn to kill her mother, who suffered from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy and spent years forcing Blanchard to undergo painful and unnecessary surgeries as well as fake illnesses like leukemia and muscular dystrophy for financial gain.
The now-32-year-old, who committed the crime after suffering years of abuse, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison, before getting released last week after only seven years.