Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Partner Ken Urker Dies at 33

Gypsy Rose Blanchard has announced the death of her partner, Ken Urker, who died at the age of 33. Blanchard stated that she believes Urker died from an overdose and paid tribute to him as her “forever soulmate.”

Urker was found unresponsive in his Raceland, Louisiana, home on Thursday, which would have been his 34th birthday. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death, but officials have not yet released a confirmed cause. Blanchard told People magazine that she is in disbelief and that Urker had not been in a good state of mind recently.

Blanchard, who shares a 1-year-old daughter, Aurora Raina, with Urker, described him as an amazing father and a deeply loved man. "He will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase," she said.

She also addressed the intense public scrutiny and cyberbullying that Urker faced online, suggesting it may have had a profound impact on him. "The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure," Blanchard stated, adding that she hopes his passing serves as a reminder that there are real people behind online interactions.

Blanchard emphasized Urker's love for their daughter, Aurora, and pledged to ensure she grows up knowing her father's love. She requested privacy and compassion for their daughter, families, and all those grieving Urker.

The couple met as prison pen pals while Blanchard was incarcerated for her role in the 2015 murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. They became engaged in October 2018. After a period of separation, during which Blanchard married and divorced Ryan Anderson, she and Urker rekindled their relationship. They announced Blanchard's pregnancy in July 2024, and their daughter Aurora was born on January 1, 2025.