Ken Urker, fiancé of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, dies at 34 on his birthday

Ken Urker, the fiancé of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard and father of her daughter, has died at 34 on his birthday.

Urker died on Thursday, Oct. 1, at his home in Louisiana, according to People. The Lafourche Sheriff’s Office confirmed the death to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 34.

Deputies were called to 107 Double H Drive, Lot 4, in Raceland shortly after 6:15 p.m. There they found Kenan Urker dead on arrival, the sheriff’s office said. The office identified him by his full first name. Raceland is a small community in Lafourche Parish, south-west of New Orleans.

The sheriff’s office said its death investigation is continuing. No cause of death was immediately available.

Urker was known to television viewers from Lifetime’s Gypsy Rose: Life After Lockup, a reality programme following Blanchard after her release from prison. He and Blanchard welcomed their daughter, Aurora Raina Urker, in December 2024.

Their relationship began years earlier, when Urker started writing to Blanchard as a prison pen pal, according to A&E. The two were later engaged. After Blanchard’s release, they resumed their relationship and started a family together.

Blanchard served seven to eight years in prison for her role in the second-degree murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, and was released in 2023. Urker stood by her through much of that public return to private life, appearing alongside her on screen and in family photographs.

Officials have released no further details. The sheriff’s office said more information will follow as its investigation proceeds.