Ken Urker, who dated the controversial figure Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, has died, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed Thursday evening. He was 34.
In a statement to media, the sheriff’s office shared that officers “responded to a residence at 107 Double H Drive, Lot 4, in Raceland today after receiving a call at 6:15 p.m.,” adding, “Kenan Urker, 34, was found dead upon arrival. At this time, we are continuing the death investigation.”
A cause of death was not immediately shared. However, it has been reported that Urker died on his birthday. Blanchard had reportedly reached out to Urker on Thursday to send a “happy birthday” message, but did not hear back. It’s said Blanchard’s brother, Dylan, and his wife found an unresponsive Urker, as they planned to go out to dinner together.
Blanchard, who was portrayed by actress Joey King in Hulu’s miniseries “The Act,” issued the following statement to media on Urker’s death: “Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved. [He] will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase.”
As Blanchard went on, she noted that Urker faced an “unimaginable level of public scrutiny” and “relentless cyberbullying” online.
“The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure,” she added. “I believe the tremendous weight of that scrutiny and harassment had a profound impact on him, and I hope his passing serves as a reminder that there is a real person behind every screen, every headline and every comment.”
Urker was best known for appearing on Lifetime’s “Gypsy Rose: Life After Lockup,” where the pair documented their love story following Blanchard’s high profile release from prison and subsequent divorce from first husband Ryan Anderson.
Blanchard and Urker, who were briefly engaged in 2018 during the former’s incarceration for the role she played in mother Dee Dee Blanchard’s murder, reconnected in early 2024. They later welcomed their daughter, Aurora Raina Urker, in December 2024.
TMZ first reported word of Urker’s death.
