Ken Urker, the partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, was found dead at his home in Raceland, Louisiana, on his birthday, according to reports. Urker, 34, was discovered deceased after Blanchard reportedly became worried when he did not respond to a happy birthday message she sent him.
Investigation underway
The sheriff's office confirmed that police responded to a call from the property at approximately 6.15pm on Thursday. An investigation into Urker's death has been launched and remains ongoing. No official cause of death has been confirmed, but Blanchard claimed Urker died in his bed following an overdose.
Blanchard, 35, who appeared in the show Life After Lock-Up, told TMZ that her boyfriend faced 'cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure.' She said she believes the harassment had a 'profound impact' on the 34-year-old.
Blanchard's tribute
'Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved,' she said in a statement, adding that she will make sure their daughter '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 share daughter Aurora Raina Urker, whom they welcomed 21 months ago. Blanchard claimed her partner had been subjected to 'relentless' cyberbullying and scrutiny before his death.
Speaking to People, Blanchard later said she does not know whether the alleged overdose was intentional or not. She said: '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.'
Relationship history
The pair first connected in 2017 when Blanchard was serving a prison sentence for the murder of her mother Clauddine 'Dee Dee' Blanchard. Blanchard is said to have suffered years of medical abuse and fake diagnoses while growing up.
Urker reached out to Blanchard after watching the 2017 HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, and the pair hit it off. He proposed to her while she was still serving her sentence for the 2015 murder, but they parted ways and she married Ryan Scott Anderson.
The couple divorced less than two years into their marriage, and Urker and Blanchard reconnected in 2024. Two months later, they announced their pregnancy. She told TMZ after they rekindled their romance: 'After reconnecting earlier this month, we realised that our love for each other is simply undeniable, and life is too short to not take a chance.'
Describing Urker as her 'forever soulmate,' Blanchard told People about her grief and shock: 'He was not in a good state of mind lately. I'm in disbelief. I can't think. I've screamed until my throat burns.'
