Gypsy-Rose Blanchard has received an invitation from the family of her ex-fiance, Ken Urker, to attend his upcoming funeral following his sudden death in Louisiana. Urker was found unresponsive inside his home on Thursday, October 1, the same day he was celebrating his 34th birthday.
Family sources told TMZ that Blanchard was invited to the funeral service, which is scheduled to take place in Urker's home state of Texas at a future date. The 35-year-old maintains a good relationship with most of Urker's family, including his mother Raina, and his parents do not believe Blanchard was involved in his passing.
Blanchard, who shares 21-month-old daughter Aurora with Urker, is interested in attending the Texas funeral. She also hopes to organize an additional service in Louisiana so her own loved ones can attend. Representatives for Blanchard have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Over the weekend prior to the funeral announcement, Blanchard visited Urker's casket alongside their daughter. She was present for a small viewing at a Louisiana funeral home on Saturday, wearing a black dress and a necklace that Urker gave her for their two-year anniversary.
During the viewing, their daughter Aurora recognized her father and said "Daddy," while Blanchard was given private time to say goodbye. Urker's mother Raina, his brother, and two of his sisters attended the viewing. His sister Autumn did not attend, despite sources claiming she was in Louisiana at the time.
Autumn Urker previously claimed to the Daily Mail that her brother told her in their final phone call he was terrified Blanchard would not keep their daughter safe. She also alleged that Urker felt humiliated by Blanchard and accused Blanchard of lying about her relationship status with Urker before his death. Autumn later confirmed her brother's passing during a live stream on TikTok, stating his last words to her were "I love you."
Family Lunch and Recent Text Message History
On the day after the casket viewing, Blanchard and Urker's relatives gathered for lunch at IHOP, where they shared memories of him. During the reunion, Urker's family arranged for one of his siblings to take care of his dog, Parker.
Recent text messages between Blanchard and Urker in the weeks leading up to his death focused on co-parenting their daughter Aurora, who was born on December 28, 2024. A source close to the former couple told Page Six that their text conversations were normal and centered on daily check-ins.
The source stated that Blanchard kept her texts friendly rather than romantic because she knew Urker was struggling with his mental health and needed space to improve. Although she hoped to eventually reunite, Blanchard stopped sending romantic messages once she accepted that their relationship was over.
On Monday, Blanchard posted a message to her Instagram Story thanking friends, family, and followers for their condolences. She wrote: "Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has reached out with love, prayers, and condolences. I'm sorry I can't respond to every message, but please know I see them and I'm so grateful."
Sheriff Department Investigation and Public Statements
Urker's body was discovered at his home in Raceland, Louisiana, on Thursday by Blanchard's brother, Dylan. According to People, Dylan and his wife had planned to go out to dinner with Urker before arriving at his residence, leaving both families in shock. Police reported finding syringes, a spoon, a holstered handgun, and a brown powdery substance near his body.
In a statement to TMZ, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed the ongoing death investigation. "We responded to a residence in Raceland today after receiving a call at 6.15pm. Kenan Urker, 34, was found dead upon arrival. At this time, we are continuing the death investigation," the sheriff's office stated.
Following his death, Blanchard publicly stated her belief that Urker suffered an overdose. She said: "I don't know if it was intentional or not. He was not in a good state of mind lately. I'm in disbelief. I can't think. I've screamed until my throat burns." She added that she texted him on his birthday to wish him well, but never received a reply.
Blanchard also released a statement to TMZ claiming Urker faced relentless cyberbullying and public scrutiny while dating her. She said: "Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved. He will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase."
She added that the online cruelty had a profound impact on Urker, creating an unimaginable level of public scrutiny. Blanchard vowed to make sure their daughter Aurora grows up knowing how deeply her father loved her and who he was beyond what strangers on the internet chose to say about him.
Relationship History and Murder Conviction Context
Blanchard and Urker first began communicating in 2017 while she was serving a prison sentence, after Urker watched an HBO documentary about her case. Urker proposed to Blanchard in 2018, but the couple broke off their engagement several months later.
Following their breakup, Blanchard married special education teacher Ryan Anderson while in prison. Blanchard served seven years of a ten-year prison sentence for her role in the murder of her abusive mother, Claudine "Dee Dee" Blanchard, before being granted early parole and released in December 2023. After her release, Blanchard divorced Anderson and reunited with Urker in 2024.
The birth of their daughter Aurora on December 28, 2024, coincided with the one-year anniversary of Blanchard's release from prison. As a child, Blanchard was a victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Her mother forced her to pose as an invalid in a wheelchair, shaved her head, and administered unnecessary medications to convince the public she suffered from leukemia and muscular dystrophy.
The abuse ended in 2015 when Blanchard's boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, entered their home in Springfield, Missouri, and stabbed 48-year-old Dee Dee Blanchard to death. Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, serving seven years in prison prior to her release in December 2023.
