Gypsy Rose Blanchard speaks out after death of partner Ken Urker aged 33
Gypsy Rose Blanchard has spoken out following the death of her partner Ken Urker, whom she shares a one-year-old daughter with.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed to LADBible that Urker was found unresponsive at a home in Louisiana on his 34th birthday.
Urker was in a relationship with Blanchard, who spent several years behind bars for her involvement in her mother's death.
Following Urker's passing, Blanchard has spoken out on the matter and said she's 'in disbelief'. It's said he died of an overdose.
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"I don’t know if it was intentional or not," she told PEOPLE. "He was not in a good state of mind lately."
She added: "I’m in disbelief. I can’t think. I’ve screamed until my throat burns."
Blanchard went on to describe him as an 'amazing father'. The 35-year-old shared: "Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved. He will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase."
Elsewhere she said that the online scrutiny Urker has been subjected to was 'relentless'.
"Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit," Blanchard explained to PEOPLE.
"The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure. I believe the tremendous weight of that scrutiny and harassment had a profound impact on him, and I hope his passing serves as a reminder that there is a real person behind every screen, every headline, and every comment."
"Above all, Ken loved our daughter, Aurora," the grieving mom-of-one continued. "She is a beautiful reflection of his enduring spirit, and through her, a part of him will always remain with us. I will make sure she grows up knowing how deeply her father loved her and who he was beyond what strangers on the internet chose to say about him."
Urker and Blanchard had been together for years. They first connected in 2017 while Blanchard was still in prison, and Urker then proposed in 2018. They ended up calling off their engagement, but reconciled in 2019.
But they split up again and Blanchard went on to marry her now-ex husband Ryan Anderson. The couple wed in 2022, where they had no guests at the wedding.
Blanchard told PEOPLE at the time: "We do plan on having a reception/redo wedding with all of our family and our friends and the dress and the cake and everything because we deserve that. I deserve that. He deserves that.
"Our prison wedding was just something to where we can make our vows to each other. It was something that meant something to us. And I think the party is kind of for everybody else and us, but mostly for everybody else."
They then divorced in 2024 and Blanchard went back to dating Urker.
Their daughter Aurora was born in January 2025, exactly one year on from Blanchard's prison release.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
Topics: Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Mental Health
Niamh Shackleton