Gypsy Rose Blanchard is mourning the sudden death of her partner, Ken Urker, who died on his 34th birthday in Louisiana. Blanchard believes he may have suffered an overdose, although authorities have not yet determined the official cause of death.

Urker was found unresponsive in his bed at his home in Raceland, Louisiana, on Thursday, October 1, according to reports. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating his death.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s fiancé, Ken Urker, died on what would’ve been his 34th birthday. Instagram / @gypsyrose.ig

Blanchard said she does not know whether the suspected overdose was intentional. She also said Urker had recently been in a difficult state of mind.

“I don’t know if it was intentional or not,” she told PEOPLE. “He was not in a good state of mind lately.”

She said a substance was found, despite never having seen Urker take drugs before. Authorities have not publicly confirmed what substance, if any, was involved.

“I’m in disbelief. I can’t think,” Blanchard said. “I’ve screamed until my throat burns.”

‘My forever soulmate’

They were parents to 1-year-old Aurora Raina. kenurker/Instagram

Blanchard, who shares 1-year-old daughter Aurora Raina with Urker, remembered him as a devoted father and someone deeply loved by those around him.

“Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved,” she said. “He will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase.”

She also spoke about the intense public scrutiny Urker faced during their relationship, particularly online.

According to Blanchard, he endured what she described as relentless cyberbullying on platforms including TikTok and Reddit.

“The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure,” she said, adding that she believed the pressure of the scrutiny and harassment had a profound impact on him.

Blanchard urged people to remember that there is a real person behind online posts, headlines and comments.

A father remembered through his daughter

The couple with their daughter and pet dog on March 23 2025. gypsyrose.ig/Instagram

Blanchard said Urker’s greatest love was their daughter, Aurora.

“She is a beautiful reflection of his enduring spirit, and through her, a part of him will always remain with us,” she said.

She also vowed that Aurora would grow up knowing how deeply her father loved her and would learn about him beyond the judgments made by strangers online.

Blanchard said Urker would be “deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten” as she asked for privacy and compassion for their daughter, their families and everyone grieving his death.

From prison pen pals to parents

Blanchard and Urker first connected as prison pen pals while she was incarcerated for her role in the 2015 murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard.

Urker proposed in October 2018, about a year after they first met. Blanchard later recalled that the proposal came after he held her hands and told her how much she meant to him before asking whether he could have her hand in marriage.

She said yes.

The couple split in August 2019. While still incarcerated, Blanchard later married Ryan Anderson in July 2022. She was released from prison on December 28, 2023, after serving 85% of her 10-year sentence.

Blanchard and Anderson divorced in 2024, after which she and Urker rekindled their relationship.

In April 2024, the couple got matching husky tattoos. A few months later, Blanchard announced that she was expecting their first child, saying the pregnancy had not been planned but that both were excited about becoming parents.

Urker announced the arrival of their daughter on January 1, 2025, writing, “Welcoming 2025 with the greatest gift of all.”

Their daughter, Aurora Raina, was just 1 year old when Urker died.