Gypsy Rose Blanchard Speaks Out as Partner Dies At 34—’Greatest Love Story’ - Newsweek
Gypsy Rose Blanchard issued a statement on her Instagram page on Friday addressing the recent death of her partner, Ken Urker.
Urker, who is the father of Blanchard's child, Aurora, was found unresponsive in a Louisiana home on his birthday, TMZ first reported, citing family sources. Blanchard told People magazine Urker, who was 34 years old, died of an overdose, and that she wasn't sure if it was intentional or not. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating the death.
In a story posted to her Instagram on Friday morning, Blanchard—who became famous after she was found guilty of helping to arrange the killing of her mother in 2015—said that Urker endured "relentless cyberbullying" that had a "profound impact" on him.
"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," Blanchard wrote on her Instagram story.
"Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit. The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure," she wrote. "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. 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. He will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten."
In a post shared to her Instagram account @gypsyrose.insta on Friday morning, Blanchard shared a photo of Urker and several videos of them together and also of their daughter, Aurora.
"You will always be my greatest love story," Blanchard captioned the post. "You will be remembered and loved forever."
Blanchard pleaded guilty to second‑degree murder for her role in the killing of her mother Dee Dee Blanchard in 2016 and received a 10-year sentence. Dee Dee Blanchard was stabbed to death after allegedly subjecting her daughter to years of unnecessary medical procedures and falsely presenting her as being seriously ill. Blanchard's then‑boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, was convicted of first‑degree murder for carrying out the stabbing and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Blanchard was released on parole on December 28, 2023, after serving eight and a half years of her sentence.
Munchausen by proxy is a mental illness in which "the caretaker of a child, most often a mother, either makes up fake symptoms or causes real symptoms to make it look like the child is sick," the National Library of Medicine said.
It is considered a form of child abuse.
Blanchard was born in Golden Meadow, a town in southeastern Louisiana, near the Gulf.
Urker began writing to Blanchard while she was still in prison in 2017, contacting her after watching HBO's Mommy Dead and Dearest, which featured her case. They met for the first time that September, then later dated. After breaking up, Blanchard married Ryan Anderson, who she subsequently divorced. Urker and Blanchard reconciled and got back together in April 2024.
On December 28, 2024, they welcomed their daughter, Aurora. Urker chose the name because both he and Blanchard were fascinated by the Northern Lights, People reported.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tony Phillips.
