Ken Urker, partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and father of their daughter, Aurora, has died at the age of 34 in Louisiana, as confirmed by the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office. Urker was found dead on Thursday, October 1st, in a residence in Raceland, precisely on his birthday. The police are still investigating the circumstances of his death, and the cause has not been disclosed at this time.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard gained notoriety for the murder of her mother, Clauddine 'Dee Dee' Blanchard, whom her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, killed in 2015 at Gypsy's request. For years, her mother had made her believe she suffered from numerous illnesses and disabilities, subjecting her to unnecessary medical treatments, in a case that garnered significant media attention and was later featured in documentaries and TV series. Gypsy was convicted of second-degree murder and was released from prison in December 2023 after serving eight years of her sentence.
Officers responded to the residence around 6:15 p.m. after receiving an emergency call and found Urker "dead upon arrival," as confirmed by the sheriff's office. According to TMZ, Gypsy Rose had sent him a birthday message but received no response. Later, a family member found him in the residence.
Upon hearing the news, Blanchard paid tribute to what she described as "an incredible father and a deeply beloved man". "He will always be my soulmate and my red thread, a connection that neither time, nor distance, nor even death can erase," she stated in a statement where she requested privacy for their families and their daughter.
The star of 'Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up' stated that Urker had endured intense public scrutiny and "relentless harassment on social media," especially on platforms like TikTok and Reddit. "The cruelty directed at him was something no human should have to endure," she said. Blanchard added that she believes the weight of this exposure and harassment "had a profound impact" on him, although she did not directly link these circumstances to his death.
Urker and Blanchard met in 2017 when he began writing her letters while she was serving time for her involvement in the death of her mother, Clauddine 'Dee Dee' Blanchard. He proposed to her in 2018, and after several breakups and reconciliations, they resumed their relationship in 2024, following Blanchard's release from prison and her separation from Ryan Anderson. Their daughter, Aurora, was born in December of that year. It is unclear if they were in a romantic relationship at the time of Urker's death.