Gypsy-Rose Blanchard Says Media Attention After Prison Release Had 'Negative Effect on My Mental Health'

Blanchard was released from prison in December 2023, and is now detailing her decision to step back from (and eventually return to) social media

Gypsy-Rose Blanchard is giving viewers insight into her relationship with social media.

The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard subject, 32, shared a behind-the-scenes look at her life now after her December 2023  release from prison during the An Evening with Lifetime: Conversations On Controversies FYC event panel on Wednesday, May 1.

Speaking with moderator Janine Rubenstein of PEOPLE, Blanchard explained the "media storm" that came her way following her eight years in prison.

"I'm very much an introvert. And so coming out and this media storm hit me, and I was... At first, I really, really was touched by the positivity that people were showing me," Blanchard said at the panel, which took place at The Grove in Los Angeles. "And then as social media began and how it always does, it turned negative. It started to have a negative effect on my mental health."

Related: Gypsy-Rose Blanchard Reveals ‘Biggest Lesson’ She’s Learnt Since Prison Release: ‘Take Your Time’

Blanchard — who has since made headlines for separating from her now-former husband Ryan Scott Anderson, reuniting with her ex-fiancé Ken Urker and opening up about cosmetic surgery — added at the event that she ended up taking "a step back" from the internet.

"But I just recently got back into it with having learned don't read comments," she said. "So I mean, I'm just trying to live my life in the best way that I can."

"And like I said, that's going to include missteps, but I learned from them," Blanchard continued.

The Munchausen by proxy victim ultimately decided to delete her social media accounts after expressing "regret" on TikTok, which a source told PEOPLE at the time "was at the advisement of her parole officer, so she won’t get in trouble and go back to jail." She apologized to fans for a "lack of accountability in my interviews."

Related: Gypsy-Rose Blanchard Shows Off Glam New Look in TikTok Return

Blanchard served eight years of a 10-year sentence for conspiring to murder her mother, 48-year-old Dee Dee Blanchard, with her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn. Godejohn carried out the murder before being convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

"Let my actions match my words. And we'll go from there," Blanchard said when she decided to leave social media.

"I definitely have a good support system," she continued. "And I think I'm just now starting to get around to listening to my inner self instead of all the noise that's been on social media. So with that being said, thank you so much for watching and hearing me out."

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

This week, Blanchard made her official return to the TikTok platform when she showed off her recent rhinoplasty and a new blonde hair transformation. She also uploaded another clip, soundtracked by Sabrina Carpenter’s single “Espresso," where she showed off some casual beach attire. Carpenter herself co-signed the look, commenting “you served ♥️.”

Elsewhere at Wednesday's panel, Blanchard described the "biggest lesson" that she's learned since being released from prison: "To take your time."

"Because I think too often, I get also excited about my newfound freedom, and so I think I rush to do things, I want to cram it all in, so I'm just learning to take my time," she said, before adding that she's "doing very well."

"These last four months has been met with challenges and ups and downs, but that's life, right? So I'm just enjoying it," Blanchard continued.

Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up premieres June 3 on Lifetime.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.