Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ken Urker shared a complicated relationship that stretched across nearly a decade, beginning while Blanchard was serving time in prison and ending with the tragic news of Urker’s death at age 34. Urker first contacted Blanchard in 2017 after watching the documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, and what began as letters quickly developed into a close friendship and romantic relationship. The pair became engaged in 2018, but their relationship ended the following year. Blanchard later married Ryan Anderson while she was incarcerated, but that marriage eventually fell apart. After her release from prison in December 2023, Blanchard and Urker reconnected and resumed their relationship in 2024. The couple welcomed their daughter, Aurora Raina Urker, in December 2024, and Urker also appeared alongside Blanchard on Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up.

Urker was found dead at his home in Raceland, Louisiana, on October 1, his 34th birthday, according to the Lafourche Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said deputies responded to a call around 6:15 p.m. and found him dead at the scene, while his cause of death remained under investigation. Blanchard told PEOPLE that she believed Urker had suffered an overdose but said she did not know whether it was intentional. She described him as an “amazing father” and her “soulmate,” while also saying he had faced intense public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying. Blanchard said she wanted their daughter to grow up understanding how deeply her father loved her. Their relationship had been closely followed by the public, especially because of Blanchard’s own highly publicized history, including her conviction in the 2015 killing of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, and her subsequent release from prison.