Ken Urker, partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, found dead in Louisiana home

Ken Urker, the partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, made comments about being depressed before being found dead in his Louisiana home from an apparent drug overdose, authorities said.

Deputies responded to a home in Raceland around 6:15 p.m. Thursday and found Urker dead, the Lafourche Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“At this time, we are continuing the death investigation,” the office said.

The sheriff’s office said in an emailed statement that it found no evidence of foul play.

An initial report released by the sheriff’s office states that officers were called to Urker’s home for a wellness check. A man and Urker’s boss gained access to the home through an unlocked window and found him lying on his bed, cold to the touch, the report says.

Deputies searching the home found paraphernalia, including syringes and a spoon, in a bathroom next to a “brown powdery substance,” according to the report. A syringe, a holstered handgun and two shot glasses were on the nightstand next to the bed, the report says.

Authorities noted it appeared that Urker had been there “for an extended period of time.”

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The man who found Urker told deputies that he and his wife had attended church with Urker on Wednesday night and that Urker had made comments about being depressed and upset, according to the report.

The report states that Urker had also made a TikTok video of him driving without saying anything. The man said they decided to check on Urker because of his behavior and because he failed to show up to work.

The cause of death has not been revealed. Blanchard, who welcomed a daughter with Urker in 2024, told People magazine that Urker had overdosed and she was in “disbelief.” The magazine reported that he died on his 34th birthday.

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“I can’t think,” she said. “I’ve screamed until my throat burns.”

The couple met through a pen pal program while Blanchard was in prison for her role in the 2015 murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, Variety reported. The pair briefly split and then reconciled in 2024.

Blanchard has said her mother abused her for years and forced her to fake serious illnesses. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, was sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing Dee Dee Blanchard.

The killing sparked a media frenzy and inspired HBO’s 2017 documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and the 2019 Hulu series “The Act.” Blanchard was released early in 2023 after being granted parole.

She told People that Urker was heavily scrutinized during their relationship.

“Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit. The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure,” she said in her statement. “I believe the tremendous weight of that scrutiny and harassment had a profound impact on him, and I hope his passing serves as a reminder that there is a real person behind every screen, every headline, and every comment.”

Blanchard also said she wants their daughter to grow up “knowing how deeply her father loved her and who he was beyond what strangers on the internet chose to say about him.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a 24/7 National Helpline for individuals with substance abuse issues and their family members. The hotline, which offers assistance in English and Spanish, can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). To find behavioral health treatment services, visit SAMHSA’s website.