Gypsy Rose Blanchard detailed Ken Urker romance struggles before his death

Gypsy Rose Blanchard once opened up about the challenges she and Ken Urker faced in their relationship, more than a year before his death at the age of 33.

Urker died on October 1 in Louisiana, with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office confirming his death to E! News. Blanchard later told PEOPLE that he died after an overdose, although she said she did not know whether it was intentional.

The couple had a long history that began in 2017, when Urker contacted Blanchard while she was serving a prison sentence for her involvement in the 2015 killing of her mother, Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard. They quickly developed a relationship and became engaged in 2018 before splitting in 2019.

Blanchard later married Ryan Anderson in 2022, but the marriage ended after less than two years. Following her prison release in December 2023, she and Urker rekindled their romance in 2024.

Speaking to E! News in May 2024, Blanchard said she believed Urker was "the one" from the moment she met him in 2017. She also said their connection had become stronger after they reunited.

"It wasn't until I filed for divorce that I kind of really realized that that spark, that connection [with Ken] is even better than I expected," she said at the time.

The pair went on to welcome their daughter Aurora on December 28, 2024. Urker was 33 when he died on October 1, 2026.

Before his death, however, Blanchard had also spoken about the pressures the couple experienced while navigating their relationship in the public eye. Their romance had attracted considerable attention because of their history, her previous marriage and their decision to reunite after several years apart.

Following Urker's death, Blanchard described him as "an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved". She also said he would "forever be my soulmate" and asked for privacy and compassion for their daughter, families and those grieving his death.

The couple's relationship had therefore spanned nearly a decade, from their first connection while Blanchard was incarcerated to their engagement, separation, reconciliation and the birth of their daughter.