Ken Urker — Gypsy Rose Blanchard's on-and-off partner and the father of her toddler daughter, Aurora — was found dead Thursday at a home in Raceland, Louisiana, on what would have been his 34th birthday. According to TMZ, Blanchard's brother Dylan discovered him unresponsive after she texted Urker "Happy Birthday" and got no reply.

Blanchard has since spoken out, saying she believes Urker died of an overdose involving an unidentified substance found at the scene, and that he had been enduring what she called "relentless cyberbullying" online. No official cause of death has been released.

The pair's relationship stretched back to 2017, when Urker wrote to Blanchard after watching a documentary about her case. They got engaged during her incarceration, broke up, and reunited after her 2023 release, welcoming Aurora in December 2024. Variety reports both families are "in shock."