Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Boyfriend Ken Urker Dead at 33

Oct 02, 2026 - 07:18
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Boyfriend Ken Urker Dead at 33

Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Boyfriend Ken Urker Dead at 33

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is navigating a death in her family. 

The Life After Lock Up star's boyfriend Ken Urker died on Oct. 1, the Lafourche Sherriff’s Office confirmed to E! News. He was 33.

"We were notified about this at 6:15 p.m. CDT and responded," a spokesperson told E!. "He was found dead upon arrival. At this time, we are continuing the death investigation.” 

His cause of death has not been revealed. 

Blanchard, 35, and Urker—who share daughter Aurora Raina Urker, 21 months—first connected while she was serving time in prison for the 2015 murder of her mom Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard. She pled guilty to second-degree murder for conspiring with her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn to kill her mom after suffering from abuse and fake medical diagnoses as a child. 

"[Urker] wrote me a letter of support after watching the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest back in 2017," Blanchard told E! News in 2019. "I wrote him back and pretty soon we just started writing on a weekly basis. We became fast friends."

She and Urker spent hours on the phone at the time, with her noting, "I talked to him like I had known him my whole life and vice versa."

The pair got engaged while she was behind bars, but they broke up in 2019 to focus on "personal growth," she told E!, adding, "We were so connected at one time that I felt like he was a soul mate."

Instagram/Ken Urker

Blanchard went on to marry Ryan Anderson, a special education teacher from Louisiana, after similarly meeting him through prison correspondence in 2020.

"We've been able to build this emotional bond that within two seconds of talking on the phone, he knows my emotions," she told People. "And he'll be like, 'Are you OK? Do you want to talk about it?' So I'm thankful that I have a man that is open enough with his own emotions so I could let my emotions flow."

She married Anderson in 2022 while she was still incarcerated.

Blanchard—who was portrayed by actress Joey King in the acclaimed miniseries The Act—was ultimately released from prison in December 2023 after serving seven years, but by March 2024, the couple had cut ties.

"Unfortunately my husband and I are going through a separation and I moved in with my parents home down the bayou. I have the support of my family and friends to help guide me through this," she shared on Facebook at the time. "I am learning to listen to my heart."

As for Anderson, he attributed their divorce to "outside influences."

"I'm still trying to figure out, how did it happen so fast?" he told E!. "I'm blindsided about how fast things occur. It's like a snowball and I haven't been able to stop it. It's just one of those where it's gonna continue to roll."

Instagram/Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Less than a week after sharing news of the split, Blanchard reunited with Urker in Louisiana, and it was like no time had passed.

"When did I know he was the one?" she told E! in May 2024. "Probably the day I met him back in 2017."

Noting the pair had "kept a friendship this whole time," she explained, "It wasn't until I filed for divorce that I kind of really realized that that spark, that connection [with Urker] is even better than I expected. And we've grown a lot. I've matured. He's grown. And so I think right now is the time in our lives that it's the right time, right place, right everything."

Instagram / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

The couple went on to reveal her pregnancy two months later. 

"We're both very excited. This was not planned at all, it was completely unexpected," she shared on YouTube. "We're both very excited to take on this new journey of parenthood."

Urker announced the arrival of their daughter Aurora in December 2024, calling her the "greatest gift of all."

Read on for a look back at Blanchard's life with Urker before his death.

TikTok / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

"The One"

TikTok / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Origin Story

The couple, who got engaged in 2018, even managed to create a festive atmosphere while Blanchard was incarcerated.

TikTok / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

What She Said

They split up in 2019 but, as Blanchard later noted, fate would come back to find them...

TikTok / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

On the Outside

While Blanchard went on to tie the knot with teacher Ryan Anderson in 2022, she filed for divorce after less than two years of marriage. She and Urker Ken reunited in the spring of 2024.

"We are together and in a wonderful place in our relationship," she told TMZ that April. "We know it is going to be a long road ahead but are excited for the future."

TikTok / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Sunnier Days Ahead

Cloudy skies couldn't put a damper on the rekindled pair's mood.

TikTok / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Cozying Up

Blanchard cuddled up next to Urker in this selfie snapped after their reunion.

TikTok / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Sweet Laughter

Whatever he said had Blanchard beaming in a video about their "love story."

Gypsy Rose Blanchard/Instagram

Scenes From a Romance

Blanchard shared a collage of some of her and Urker's most adorable moments a few weeks before revealing her pregnancy with their first child together.

At the time, she noted that their baby was due in January 2025.

Instagram / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

It's a Girl

The two found out they were expecting a baby girl during a sex reveal party in August 2024.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard/Instagram

Date Night

Before they become a family of three, Blanchard and Urker dined at a table for two during a September 2024 date night.

Instagram / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Romantic Getaway

The parents-to-be took a trip to California, including Marina Del Rey, that October.

Instagram / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Making Memories

And while Blanchard noted on Instagram the view of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was "incredible," she added, "the company made it unforgettable."

Instagram / Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Selfie Time

The duo sported their shades in this sunny snap.

Instagram/Gypsy Rose Blanchard

And Then There Were Three

On December 28, 2024, exactly one year after Blanchard was released from prison, she and Urker welcomed their daughter Auora.

Gypsy-Rose Blanchard/Instagram

First Birthday

Blanchard and Urker rang in their little girl's first birthday in 2025 with a Ms. Rachel-themed party.

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