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Gypsy Rose revealed major concern she had about dating Ken Urker as her fiancé is found dead on 34th birthday
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Ken Urker, the ex-fiancé of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the father of her daughter, was found dead on his 34th birthday in Raceland, Louisiana.
Authorities responded to a call on October 1, when he was found unresponsive inside a home. The sudden news has shocked fans who have followed the couple's relationship history over the past several years.
The tragedy marks a dark chapter in a relationship that originally began behind bars. Before the couple reunited and welcomed their daughter following her release from prison, Gypsy had voiced real doubts about how his family would view her background.
She previously opened up about a major concern she had when they first started dating.
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Concerns over prison record
When Ken and Gypsy first began talking, her main worry centered on how his family would react to her past. She was serving time in prison for her role in the death of her mother, Claudine "Dee Dee" Blanchard. The public nature of her case caused her to wonder if his relatives would judge her harshly before ever meeting her.
Gypsy shared her initial hesitation in a 2019 interview with E! News, explaining that she questioned how his family members would view her situation:
"I was very concerned when we first started dating, because I was like, 'Oh my god, your family is going to think of me like I'm in prison for murder!'"
Her worries were put to rest when Ken assured her that his family understood her story. His mother and grandmother had watched the documentary detailing her life and early trauma, which gave them empathy for what she had endured.
"And he was like, 'No my mom has watched the documentary and my grandma has watched the documentary and my grandma, my brother and everybody has watched it so they know your story and they do have a heart for you.' So I didn't have to explain everything; it was sort of already known when I came into the picture," Gypsy recalled.
From prison pen pals to engagement
The relationship began in 2017 when Ken sent Gypsy a letter of support after watching the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest. The two quickly built a close bond through frequent letters and phone calls.
"It was pretty soon after that that we started talking on the phone," Gypsy explained. "We would spend hours on the phone. I talked to him like I had known him my whole life and vice versa."
Their connection grew stronger over time, leading to a proposal in October 2018.
"This was something we had discussed for a while, so it wasn't out of the blue," Gypsy said. "We bounced around the idea, we have a pretty solid thing going and we're pretty sure this is what we want. So, on the October visit, he held my hands close and told me how much I meant to him and he's like, 'I would really, really be honored if I could have your hand in marriage,' and I said yes."
A complex history cut short
Although the pair broke off their initial engagement while Gypsy was still serving her sentence, they rekindled their relationship after her release in December 2023.
Following her separation from her husband, Ryan Anderson, she and Ken reunited and eventually built a family together, welcoming a daughter.