Gypsy Rose Blanchard says partner Ken Urker died on his birthday, suspects overdose
Gypsy Rose Blanchard announced that her partner Ken Urker was found dead on his 34th birthday and said she believes an overdose was involved, while authorities continue their investigation.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard said her partner, 34-year-old Ken Urker, was found unresponsive in his Raceland, Louisiana home on what would have been his birthday. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death, but Blanchard told reporters she suspects an overdose, noting that a substance was reportedly discovered at the scene.
"I don’t know if it was intentional or not. He was not in a good state of mind lately," Blanchard said.
Blanchard, who shares a one-year-old daughter, Aurora Raina, with Urker, described him as a devoted father. She asked for privacy for her family and emphasized the impact of public scrutiny on Urker.
"Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms," she said.
The couple, who met as prison pen pals while Blanchard was incarcerated for her role in a 2015 murder, had been engaged since 2018 and had recently received matching tattoos. Urker had announced the birth of their daughter on January 1, 2025.
Authorities have not released an official cause of death, and the investigation remains ongoing.