Gypsy Rose Blanchard is mourning the sudden loss of her ex-husband, who remained one of the most important people in her life even after their romance had ended.
Ken Urker, father to Blanchard’s young daughter Aurora, was reportedly found unresponsive at his home in Raceland, Louisiana yesterday, October 1, on his 34th birthday.
According to TMZ, Blanchard had texted him a simple “happy birthday” message that morning and never got a reply. It was Urker’s brother who later discovered him at the house, while his sister confirmed the news to followers in a live video online.
His cause of death has not been revealed, and authorities said the death investigation is ongoing.
Blanchard and Urker’s connection stretched back years, long before either of them grew to relative fame. The two first began writing to each other while Blanchard was still serving her sentence for her role in her mother’s death, and their relationship went on to survive a broken engagement, years apart, and Blanchard’s marriage to someone else entirely.
When she was released from prison in December 2023, their paths crossed again. Within months, they were expecting a child together.
Following his sudden death, Blanchard has spoken out, telling People that Urker’s passing was linked to an overdose.
“I don’t know if it was intentional or not,” she said. “He was not in a good state of mind lately.”
She also didn’t hold back addressing the intense attention he’d faced simply for being part of her story, attention she says wore on him more than most people realized. She termed it “cyberbullying”.
“Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved,” Blanchard said, adding that Urker “will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase.”
She also said that prior to his death, he was the victim of an “unimaginable level of public scrutiny” and “relentless cyberbullying.”
Ken, just 34 years old, leaves behind his daughter, Aurora, and a family now grieving his unexpected loss.
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