Ryan Anderson is putting his differences with Ken Urker aside after learning of his death. Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s ex-husband admitted he initially struggled to believe the news before his attention turned to Blanchard and her daughter, Aurora. Despite his strained history with Urker and having gone about a year without speaking to his former wife, Anderson said he would be there for her if she needed a friend. He has already reached out to her family to pass along that message.
Ryan Anderson Recalls His ‘Shock’ Over Ken Urker’s Death
Anderson opened up during a Friday appearance on “The Sarah Fraser Show”, recalling his first reaction to hearing that Urker had died. “I didn’t believe it at first. I was like no. My initial thought was shock, like, ‘Hmm, how’d that happen?’” he said.
Urker died at his Louisiana home on Thursday, October 1, his 34th birthday. Police found drug paraphernalia and a gun at the scene. Blanchard has described his death as a suspected overdose.
Anderson said his concern quickly shifted to the family Urker left behind, particularly Blanchard and their daughter. “My immediate thought went to, ‘How’s Gypsy?’ My immediate thought was, ‘How’s she doing. And what about their kid?’” he continued.
Blanchard and Urker welcomed Aurora in December 2024 after rekindling their relationship earlier that year.
Anderson Says His Exchanges With Urker ‘Were Never Good’
Anderson did not pretend he and Urker had been friends. He acknowledged that they “never really saw eye to eye,” although their disagreements never involved an in-person meeting. “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,” he said.
Still, Anderson expressed sadness over Urker’s death, expressing, “But you still hate to hear that somebody passed away.”
The two men were part of different chapters in Blanchard’s life. Anderson married her while she was incarcerated, and their marriage ended after her release. She then reunited with Urker, a former fiancé with whom she had first connected years earlier.
During the interview, Anderson spoke openly about those difficult exchanges before returning to his concern for Blanchard and Aurora. He said they were his “main concern” after hearing the news.
Blanchard’s Ex-Husband Reached Out To Her Father
Anderson said he has not spoken to Blanchard in about a year. Rather than contacting her directly, he reached out to her father, Rod Blanchard, with condolences and an offer of support. “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,’” he recalled.
Anderson also spoke about the comfort he had provided during their relationship. “I was always somebody who could make her laugh when she was sad or give her comfort.”
He said he would be available as a friend if Blanchard decided to contact him, although he did not know whether she would. “I don’t know if she will or not,” he added. “But if she does, I would be there for her strictly as just being there for her because I always was.”
Gypsy Rose And Ken Reunited After Her Marriage Ended
Blanchard and Anderson married in June 2022 while she was serving time for her role in the 2015 murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. She was released from prison in December 2023. The couple announced their separation in March 2024, and weeks later, Blanchard confirmed that she and Urker were back together.
Her history with Urker began well before her marriage to Anderson. Blanchard first connected with him while incarcerated in 2017, and they became engaged in October 2018 before later separating. After reuniting in early 2024, Blanchard and Urker went on to welcome Aurora that December. However, Page Six reported that the pair had quietly ended their relationship about a month before his death.
Blanchard Pays Tribute To Her ‘Forever’ Soulmate
In a statement Friday, Blanchard said she was “in disbelief” as she struggled with the news. “I can’t think. I’ve screamed until my throat burns,” 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.”
Blanchard also addressed the online treatment she said Urker experienced before his death, naming TikTok and Reddit among the platforms where he faced harassment. “Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit,” she said. “The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure.”
As Blanchard mourns Aurora’s father, Anderson has asked her family to let her know she can reach out to him for support.
