Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who served over seven years in prison for the murder of her mother, is now speaking out following the tragic death of her former fiancé and the father of her child, Ken Urker, who was discovered deceased on Thursday.
Urker was 34 years old.
He was found unresponsive in his home in Raceland, Louisiana, on October 1, which was also his birthday.
According to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Department, they are still looking into the circumstances surrounding his death, and so far, there is no indication of foul play.
A statement from the Sheriff’s Department indicated that deputies conducted a wellness check on Urker after he failed to report to work, following a recent incident where he threatened to take his own life.
Upon entering the residence, they found Urker deceased, along with drug paraphernalia, a brown powdery substance, and a holstered handgun. The official cause of death has yet to be established.
“I can’t say if it was deliberate or not,” Blanchard told People. “He had not been in a good mental state recently.”
She also shared with the outlet that Urker faced significant scrutiny and online harassment during their relationship.
“I feel the immense pressure from that scrutiny and bullying had a serious effect on him, and I hope his passing reminds everyone that there is a real person behind every screen, every headline, and every comment,” she stated to People.
Challenging journey to love
Blanchard and Urker first connected in 2017 when he reached out to her while she was in prison, after viewing the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest.
The documentary details how Blanchard’s mother, Dee Dee, was believed to suffer from factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA) — previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy — and for years allegedly coerced her daughter into using a wheelchair and feeding tubes that were unnecessary.
Parts of Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s relationship with Ken Urker were documented in the Lifetime series Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up. (Lifetime/YouTube)
In her early twenties, Blanchard and her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn devised a plan to murder Dee Dee.
Godejohn is currently serving a life sentence for first-degree murder.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was still incarcerated when Urker proposed to her in October 2018. They momentarily called off their engagement before reuniting in 2019.
Blanchard and Urker parted ways again for several years, during which time she married Ryan Anderson, only to publicly separate from him in December 2023, four months after her release from prison.
New chapters and reality television
In June 2024, the docuseries Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up debuted on the Lifetime network.
The series followed Blanchard as she adjusted to life outside of prison, finalized her divorce from Ryan Anderson, and renewed her relationship with Urker.
In December 2024, Blanchard and Urker welcomed a daughter named Aurora Rain Urker.
In the wake of his passing, Blanchard expressed to People that Urker was a loving father and the love of her life.
“Ken was an incredible father and a man who was deeply cherished. He will always be my soulmate and my red string, a bond that time, distance, and even death cannot sever.”
In June of this year, Blanchard appeared on the We Need to Talk podcast, where she discussed her tumultuous upbringing, revisited the night her mother was killed, and shared how she is working to overcome her troubled past.
CBC News has reached out to one of Blanchard’s past representatives for additional comments.