Gypsy-Rose Blanchard has publicly thanked her supporters following the death of her ex-fiancé, Ken Urker, who was found dead on his 34th birthday.
Blanchard, 35, shared her appreciation on Instagram Stories, addressing friends, family, and followers who have offered condolences.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has reached out with love, prayers, and condolences," Blanchard wrote. "I’m sorry I can’t respond to every message, but please know I see them and I’m so grateful."
Urker's body was discovered at his Louisiana home on Thursday. Police indicated that syringes, a spoon, a holstered handgun, and a "brown powdery substance" were found near him. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed they responded to a call at 6:15 p.m. and that Urker was found dead upon arrival, stating that the death investigation is ongoing.
Family sources told TMZ that Urker was found by Blanchard's brother, Dylan, and his wife, who had planned to have dinner with Urker before his birthday celebration. Urker's sister, Autumn, reportedly confirmed his death on TikTok, sharing that her brother's last words to her were, "I love you."
Blanchard and Urker's relationship began while she was serving a prison sentence for her role in the murder of her abusive mother, Claudine "Dee Dee" Blanchard. Urker began corresponding with Blanchard in 2017 after seeing a documentary about her. He proposed in 2018, but they later separated. During their separation, Blanchard married Ryan Anderson in prison.
Released on parole in December 2023, Blanchard divorced Anderson and reunited with Urker in 2024. The couple, who shared a 21-month-old daughter named Aurora Raina Urker, had spoken about their plans for a future wedding. In May, Blanchard had described her desire for a "big wedding" with a "poofy dress," contrasting it with her courthouse wedding in prison.
In the wake of Urker's death, Blanchard stated that she believed he had succumbed to an overdose, noting that he had not been in a good state of mind recently. She also claimed that Urker had been "relentlessly cyberbullied" leading up to his death.
"Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved," Blanchard said in a statement to TMZ. "He would forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase."
She added that Urker endured an "unimaginable level of public scrutiny" and that the "cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure," suggesting the online harassment had a significant impact on him. Blanchard vowed to ensure their daughter grows up knowing her father's love and his true self, beyond what strangers online have said.
Blanchard was a victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a form of abuse in which her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, fabricated illnesses and disabilities for her daughter. Their relationship ended in 2015 when Blanchard's then-boyfriend murdered Dee Dee. Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was released from prison in December 2023 after serving nearly 10 years.