Gypsy Rose Blanchard says she’s “in disbelief” following the death of her partner, Ken Urker.
As previously reported, Urker, 34, was found unresponsive in a Louisiana home on Thursday (Oct. 1), his birthday. In comments shared with People, Blanchard, who shared a child with Urker, remembered him as “an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved.” However, she cited the “unimaginable level of public scrutiny” he faced as having had “a profound impact on him.”
Blanchard and Urker first became romantically involved while Blanchard was behind bars after being convicted in connection with the death of her mother, who was fatally stabbed by Blanchard’s then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, in 2015. Blanchard and Urker later temporarily split, with Blanchard marrying another man, Ryan Anderson. Blanchard ultimately separated from Anderson, then romantically reconnected with Urker.
“Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit,” Blanchard is quoted as telling People when addressing Urker’s death. “The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure.”
When reached for comment by Complex on Friday (Oct. 2), a rep for the Lafourche Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana said that Urker had been found “dead upon arrival” after their response at a home in the Raceland area on Thursday.
Blanchard has cited an overdose as the potential cause of death, though authorities had yet to confirm or deny this as of this writing. A death investigation is ongoing.
Blanchard added that she hopes Urker’s death can serve “as a reminder that there is a real person behind every screen, every headline, and every comment.”
