Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Ex-Husband Ryan Anderson Reacts to Ken Urker’s Death
Gypsy Rose Blanchard had a vision of what her wedding with Ken Urker would look like before tragedy struck.
Four months before the Life After Lockup star’s boyfriend died at the age of 34, Blanchard shared details about an ideal future wedding with Urker if they had chosen to tie the knot one day.
“I don’t want to have a quickie wedding. I want to have the big wedding,” she shared during a May appearance on The TMZ Podcast. “I want to have the poofy dress.”
While 35-year-old—mom to Aurora, 21 months, with Urker—admitted that she and her boyfriend weren’t completely sure whether wedding bells were in their future, she emphasized that if they did get married, she wanted the ceremony to be very different from her and ex Ryan Anderson’s 2022 prison ceremony.
“I want to have the family there,” Blanchard continued, “because my first marriage, I got married in the visitation room by the bathroom of a prison.”
As she put it at the time, “I deserve my wedding.”
Blanchard first met Urker in 2017 while was serving time in prison for the involvement in the 2015 murder of her mom Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. The pair became engaged the following year, but broke up in 2019.
It wasn’t until years later after Blanchard was released from prison and her marriage to Anderson ended in 2024 that she rekindled her romance with Urker, with the couple welcoming their first baby in December 2024.
On Oct. 1, police confirmed to E! News that Urker was found dead in Louisiana.
Instagram/Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Hours later, Blanchard spoke out about the tragedy, sharing that her boyfriend had a drug overdose before dying his bed.
“I don’t know if it was intentional or not,” she told People in a statement Oct. 2 .“He was not in a good state of mind lately.”
“I’m in disbelief. I can’t think,” she continued. “I’ve screamed until my throat burns.”
As Blanchard navigates her grief, she emphasized that she’s going to remember Urker as “an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved,” sharing that he’ll “forever be my soulmate.”
For a look back at Blanchard and Urker’s relationship, keep reading…
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.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Leave a comment