This thesis aims to analyse the abusive mother-daughter relationship in The Act (2019). The Act (2019) is a true crime drama series based on the real-life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. The series tells the journey of Gypsy and her mother. Along the journey, Dee Dee abuses Gypsy physically and mentally, while keeping her under strict control. Because of that, in this analysis, I focus on how Dee Dee treats Gypsy and why Gypsy responds to Dee Dee’s treatment in certain ways. I will use Nussbaum’s objectification theory to analyse how Dee Dee treats Gypsy, and McClelland's three social motives to analyse the reasons Gypsy responds to Dee Dee’s treatments. The findings reveal that Dee Dee has the desire for power, recognition and wealth, while Gypsy has the need for independence and affiliation pushes her towards rebellious actions. This study concludes that a mother figure does have an impact on a child's growth and development.