Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Partner Dies At 34 - Newsweek

Gypsy Rose Blanchard's partner, Ken Urker, has died at the age of 34.

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 died of an overdose.

“I don’t know if it was intentional or not,” she said. “He was not in a good state of mind lately.”

“I’m in disbelief. I can’t think,” she added. “I’ve screamed until my throat burns.”

Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office told Newsweek in a statement: "We responded to a residence at 107 Double H Drive, Lot 4, in Raceland on October 1, 2026, after receiving a call at 6:15 p.m. Kenan Urker, 34, was found dead upon arrival. At this time, we are continuing the death investigation."

Blanchard had sent a "Happy Birthday" text to Urker, but he did not reply, TMZ reported.

Urker and Blanchard first connected when she was still in prison for the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard.

Blanchard became famous worldwide after she was accused of helping to arrange the killing of her mother in 2015. 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 pleaded guilty to second‑degree murder for her role in the killing of her mother in 2016 and received a 10-year sentence. Her 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.

Her case has gained widespread attention and was the subject of the 2017 HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, the 2019 Hulu drama The Act and an interview series The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

Since her release, Blanchard has given a number of interviews and her life outside of prison was the subject of Lifetime’s documentary series Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up.

Urker started writing to Blanchard in prison in 2017 after he watched Mommy Dead and Dearest, the couple said in an episode of the podcast The Viall Files.

He said he wanted to express his support for Blanchard and the pair ended up becoming friends, before meeting for the first time in September 2017.

After beginning a relationship, they split for a few years, during which time Blanchard married and then broke up with Ryan Anderson. She got back together with Urker in April 2024.

He told People magazine that he had gone to visit Blanchard for the first time since she was released from prison and had “an incredible time.”

“Then shortly after that, we realized we were going to have a baby,” he said.

After Aurora was born, Blanchard told the magazine how it was “adorable and really heartwarming to see [Urker] grow and mature through this process” of becoming a father.

Urker, who was a bartender, is one of five children, Blanchard said in an interview with E! in 2019.

Blanchard described him as “kind of a nerd” who likes Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

She told a story about him helping to free a dog left in a car and said: “He's very kindhearted. He wears his heart on his sleeve. And he's a big sports fan, which is kind of annoying for me because he's always watching football.” Urker supported the Dallas Cowboys, Blanchard said.

Urker lived in Texas but eventually moved to Louisiana to be closer to Blanchard while she was incarcerated.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

Update 10/02/26, 08:51 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office and further details.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Tony Phillips.