Gypsy-Rose Blanchard's ex Ken Urker says Dr. Phil influenced his decision to break up with her

Ken Urker says Dr. Phil’s podcast influenced his decision to split from Gypsy-Rose Blanchard before reconciliation.

Ken Urker has revealed that his decision to briefly part ways with Gypsy-Rose Blanchard was heavily influenced by “outside opinion and influence,” including Dr. Phil’s podcast.

Ahead of Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up season 2, Urker shared that he ended the relationship after listening to Dr. Phil discuss Gypsy-Rose’s situation. “I had listened to a podcast from Dr. Phil, and I had a lot of people in my ear just telling me that the best thing I can do for her is to give her some time to build a self-identity,” he told PEOPLE.

Urker first connected with Gypsy-Rose while she was in prison for her role in the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, a case linked to Munchausen by proxy abuse. The two got engaged in 2018 before briefly splitting in 2019. Following Gypsy-Rose’s 2023 release from prison, she married and later separated from Ryan Anderson before reconnecting with Urker.

Urker admitted that Dr. Phil’s analysis impacted him more than other opinions. “I felt that, at the time, all those opinions—especially Dr. Phil’s—were the right choice for both of us,” he said. “So we went off in separate directions, but fate allowed us to meet back up again.”

The couple rekindled their relationship in April 2024 and now share a daughter, Aurora, born on December 28. Urker said any concerns about Gypsy-Rose needing time to form her identity have since faded. “She’s blossomed into an incredible person,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier to have her at my side in this life.”

Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up season 2 premieres on Lifetime on March 10 at 9 p.m. ET.