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Following her split from husband Ryan Anderson in March 2024, Gypsy Rose Blanchard reunited with a former flame — ex-fiancé Ken Urker. The two began spending lots of time together and even got matching tattoos, which raised questions from fans about Ken, his current relationship status with Gypsy and their history as a couple.
Who Is Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Ex-Fiance Ken Urker?
Not much is known about Ken’s personal life. However, Gypsy shared a bit about him in a 2019 interview with E! News, revealing that he came from a big family and was “kind of a nerd” like herself.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve,” she said. “We are particularly totally in love with Harry Potter.”
Ken’s mom, Raina Williams, told TMZ on April 2, 2024, that he flew from his home in Texas to Louisiana to spend time with Gypsy after her split from Ryan.
How Did Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ken Urker Meet?
Gypsy and Ken met when he wrote to her in 2017 while she was serving time for her involvement in the murder of mom Dee Dee Blanchard. He had recently seen HBO’s documentary about her case, Mommy Dead and Dearest, and wanted to write a letter to show his support.
“He asked me before he wrote the letter and I thought it was a great idea just to show the girl that people out there her age can sympathize,” Raina told People in April 2024.
Gypsy revealed that she and Ken became “fast friends” once they got in touch. “It was pretty soon after that that we started talking on the phone. We would spend hours on the phone. I talked to him like I had known him my whole life and vice versa,” she told E! News.
When Were Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ken Urker Engaged?
Ken proposed to Gypsy during a visit to see her at Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri in 2018.
“This was something we had discussed for a while, so it wasn’t out of the blue,” she told the E! about their engagement. “We bounced around the idea, we have a pretty solid thing going and we’re pretty sure this is what we want. So, on the October visit, he held my hands close and told me how much I meant to him and he’s like, ‘I would really, really be honored if I could have your hand in marriage,’ and I said yes.”
The couple planned to tie the knot in January 2020.
In her 2024 memoir, My Time to Stand, Gypsy explained how she and Ken “kept [their] engagement private.”
“[We only told] our closest family. Then The Act aired on Hulu, and I went from being ‘known’ to being a pseudo celebrity. My personal life was a carcass for vultures to feast on,” she wrote. “The invasion was really hard on him.”
Why Did Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ken Urker Split?
Ken and Gypsy called it quits for the first time four months before they were set to exchange vows. However, the same day news of their split broke, Gypsy’s stepmom, Kristy Blanchard, confirmed that they were already back together.
“[The] engagement is on, but [they are] taking things slow and want to keep their relationship as private as possible,” she exclusively told In Touch in 2019.
However, the reunion didn’t last long. Ken and Gypsy never made it down the aisle together. In her January 2024 eBook, Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom, Gypsy claimed that Ken broke things off after Hulu released its drama series about his fiancée’s life, The Act.
“I was transformed into a pseudo-celebrity,” she wrote of how the public treated her after The Act came out. “My personal life became public, which was really hard on Ken. Clickbait articles appeared mockingly announcing our engagement. Ken was a private person and didn’t want the attention or the scrutiny. While I understood and shared in his sentiment, I took it hard when he ended our relationship.”
Raina told People of Ken and Gypsy’s split, “My son has never had any kind of ill intentions towards Gypsy. It devastated him when they broke up the first time. But he truly thought that was what was best for Gypsy.”
According to Gypsy, Ken had “many adults in his life” urging him to call off their engagement.
“[Many] suggested it wasn’t the right time for me to be married. ‘If you love her, you’ll set her free,’ was the common piece of advice he’d hear again and again, sometimes from prominent Hollywood therapists and other media personalities — sometimes from those in my own immediate family,” she explained in her 2024 memoir. “I see now, he believed he was acting in my best interest by sacrificing his own needs and wants.”
Are Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ken Urker Back Together?
Gypsy reportedly revealed in a March 28, 2024, private Facebook post that she and Ryan, whom she married while serving time in June 2022, had separated three months after moving in together.
“People have been asking what is going on in my life,” she reportedly wrote in the post obtained by People. “Unfortunately my husband and I are going through a separation and I moved in with my parents home down the bayou. I have the support of my family and friends to help guide me through this. I am learning to listen to my heart. Right now I need time to let myself find… who I am.”
Days later, on April 1, 2024, Gypsy and Ken reunited in Louisiana to get matching husky tattoos that reportedly symbolized their close bond. In Touch also exclusively obtained photos of the former flames spending time together outside her home on April 3 and holding hands outside a Dollar General on April 4.
Though it seems like Gypsy and Ken are reigniting their romance, Raina said the two are only friends.
“They are not back together,” she told People. “They’re very cool. Ken is just being a supportive friend to her and that’s it.”
Ken’s mom continued, “I think she’s a sweet girl. I think she’s made her mistakes and she’s trying to learn from them like anyone else. And I care a lot for Gypsy and I want to see good things happen for her.”
That changed by April 30, 2024, however, as Gypsy confirmed to TMZ that she and Ken were officially back together.
“After reconnecting earlier this month, we realized that our love for each other is simply undeniable, and life is too short to not take a chance,” she said. “We have a history that made for the perfect foundation for a new beginning. We are together and in a wonderful place in our relationship. We know it is going to be a long road ahead but are excited for the future.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ken Urker Expecting Baby No. 1
On July 9, 2024, Gypsy announced that she was pregnant and expecting her first child with Ken.
“I’m happy to announce that I am 11 weeks pregnant. Ken and I are expecting our very first child come January of 2025,” she said in a video via YouTube. “We’re both very excited. This was not planned at all. It was completely unexpected.”
The Louisiana native revealed that her pregnancy came as a shock because her OBGYN told her shortly before that she may put her on fertility medication. So, when she missed her period, Gypsy “didn’t think anything of it.”
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