Ken Urker, the former partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, died from a suspected overdose at his Louisiana home on Thursday, the day he turned 34. Ryan Anderson said the news hit him with shock, and his first thought went to Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Aurora.
Ryan Anderson on The Sarah Fraser Show Friday
Anderson said, “I didn’t believe it at first. I was like no. My initial thought was shock, like, ‘Hmm, how’d that happen?’” He added, “My immediate thought went to, ‘How’s Gypsy?’ My immediate thought was, ‘How’s she doing. And what about their kid?’”
He also said, “I said, ‘Hey, man, I’m hearing this news. If it’s true, tell Gypsy I’m sorry. Tell her I’m here for her if she needs me,’” after contacting Rod Blanchard. Anderson said his main concern is Aurora and Gypsy, and that he would be there for Gypsy as a friend if she reaches out.
Anderson and Urker never met
Anderson said, “We never met in person, but we had exchanges on the phone and we’ve had text messages. We’ve interacted and they were never good” and added, “But you still hate to hear that somebody passed away.” That detail matters because it turns a distant public reaction into something more personal: the two men did not share face-to-face contact, yet their connection still shaped how Anderson responded once Urker died.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard first met Urker in 2017 while she was incarcerated, and they got engaged in October 2018 before later splitting. She married Anderson in June 2022 while serving time for her role in the 2015 murder of Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, then announced their split in March 2024 after her release from prison in December 2023.
Aurora in December
Gypsy Rose Blanchard confirmed her relationship with Urker weeks after the split, and the two rekindled their romance in early 2024. They welcomed Aurora in December 2024, leaving the family now tied to a death that was described as a suspected overdose rather than a completed legal finding. The open question is what substance caused it, and whether any official ruling will follow the suspicion now attached to his death.
