Gypsy Rose Blanchard is admittedly still in disbelief that her former fiancé, Ken Urker, died.
“I just kept saying, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This isn’t true, you’re lying. You’re you’re making this up,’” Blanchard, 35, told 60 Minutes Australia in an interview broadcast on Sunday, November 15, recalling her initial reaction to Urker’s death. “I just hit the floor and I just remember screaming, screaming, screaming, screaming, ‘No, no, no.’”
Urker was found dead inside his Louisiana home last month on what was his 34th birthday. A cause of death has not been publicly revealed amid an ongoing investigation, while local police reports indicate the presence of drug paraphernalia on the scene. (Urker is survived by his parents, his siblings and 22-month-old daughter Aurora, whom he shared with Blanchard.)
Amid the pending investigation, speculation swirled of Blanchard’s involvement in the case after she was convicted of second-degree murder and served in prison for her role in the death of her mother, Dee Dee.
“[It was] disgusting to hear because that was the love of my life, that’s the father of my child,” she stated, addressing the claims. “I’ve known Ken for almost nine years; no other man, no other person had my heart like he did.”
The twosome briefly dated in 2017, getting engaged while Blanchard was incarcerated. The former couple called off their engagement in 2019, reconciling years later following Blanchard’s divorce from Ryan Anderson.
Blanchard and Urker’s relationship, however, hit a rough patch in the weeks before his death. 60 Minutes Australia reported that Blanchard confirmed he had moved out of their once-shared home over public scrutiny.
“When I first came out of prison, everyone [in] society seemed to be so excited for me and my newfound freedom,” she recalled. “And then over time, unfortunately, more criticism came my way. It was, like, things were fine in the home, like, we were happy, but online there was so much negativity.”
Blanchard, who has repeatedly claimed that Urker was cyberbullied ahead of his death, is now focused on preserving his memory for the sake of their child.
“She doesn’t understand death. She’s too little for that,” Blanchard noted of her daughter. “She misses him, and she’s able to say, ‘Where’s Dada?’”
She tearfully continued, “I’m at a loss, you know, so much has changed now. I feel like I’m in the dark. We had a plan for everything. You know, we were going to do this and we’re going to do that, and everything was going to be OK because he was right by my side. I wouldn’t have to do it alone. And now, that’s changed, and I feel lost.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
