Ken Urker, the former partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, died of a suspected overdose at his home in Louisiana on Thursday, which was his 34th birthday. A police report obtained by Page Six says drug paraphernalia and a gun were found with him at the scene.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s ex-husband, Ryan Anderson, spoke publicly about Urker’s death for the first time on Friday during an appearance on “The Sarah Fraser Show.”
“I didn’t believe it at first. I was like no. My initial thought was shock, like, ‘Hmm, how’d that happen?'” Anderson said.
Anderson, 40, said his first concern after hearing the news was for Blanchard and the 1-year-old daughter, Aurora, she shared with Urker.
“My immediate thought went to, ‘How’s Gypsy?’ My immediate thought was, ‘How’s she doing. And what about their kid?'” he said.
Blanchard and Anderson married in June 2022 while she was incarcerated for her role in the 2015 murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. The couple announced their split in March 2024, after Blanchard’s release from prison in December 2023.
Weeks later, Blanchard confirmed she was in a relationship with Urker, whom she had first met in 2017 while serving her sentence. The two got engaged in October 2018 before splitting, then reconciled in early 2024. Their daughter, Aurora, was born that December.
Anderson said he and Urker had never met in person but had exchanged phone calls and text messages that he described as consistently tense.
“We never met in person, but we had exchanges on the phone and we’ve had text messages. We’ve interacted and they were never good,” Anderson said. “But you still hate to hear that somebody passed away.”
Anderson said he had not spoken to Blanchard in roughly a year, but reached out to her father, Rod Blanchard, after learning of Urker’s death.
“I said, ‘Hey, man, I’m hearing this news. If it’s true, tell Gypsy I’m sorry. Tell her I’m here for her if she needs me,'” Anderson said. “I was always somebody who could make her laugh when she was sad or give her comfort.”
Anderson said his focus now is on Blanchard and Aurora, and that he would support Blanchard as a friend if she reaches out, though he said he doesn’t know whether she will.
Page Six had previously reported that Blanchard and Urker quietly ended their relationship about a month before his death. In a statement issued Friday, Blanchard said she was “in disbelief” over his death.
“I can’t think. I’ve screamed until my throat burns,” Blanchard said. “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.”
Blanchard also pointed to the online harassment Urker faced in the months before his death.
“Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit,” she said. “The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure.”
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
