Gypsy Rose Blanchard has hit out at online gossip about the death of her ex-fiancé Ken Urker and launched a petition against online harassment. In an Instagram post on Thursday, shown beside a photo of roses and an envelope addressed to Urker, she wrote: "Your gossip could be the darkest time in someone's life." She used the hashtag #kenanslaw for the petition and urged people to be kind.
Blanchard has also shared logs of online comments about Urker, which she says show only a fraction of what he faced. Blanchard's brother Dylan and his wife found him after he couldn't be reached.
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office said he was dead on arrival and that its investigation is continuing. The coroner said an autopsy has been carried out but no cause of death will be released until toxicology testing is complete.
Blanchard told PEOPLE she believes he died of an overdose, but the cause has not been confirmed. In her first statement, Blanchard called Urker an "amazing father" and her "soulmate", saying he endured "relentless cyberbullying" on platforms including TikTok and Reddit.
She also said she would make sure Aurora, born in December 2024, grows up knowing how deeply her father loved her. Urker's sister Autumn has reportedly disputed details of Blanchard's account, though the reporting doesn't spell out her claims.
Blanchard and Urker met as pen pals in 2017, and he proposed in 2018 while she was serving time for her role in her mother's murder. They split, reconnected in 2024 and appeared on Lifetime's Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up.
Page Six reported they had split again about a month before his death. The tragic incident has sparked a wider conversation about the impact of social media toxicity on individuals' mental health.
Blanchard's campaign seeks to hold platforms accountable for the content that users are subjected to daily. As the investigation continues, authorities have requested privacy for the family during this difficult time.
The toxicology results are expected to be released in the coming weeks, which will provide further clarity on the circumstances surrounding the death. Supporters of Blanchard have rallied behind the #kenanslaw initiative, sharing their own experiences with online harassment.
The movement highlights the growing concern over how digital platforms can be weaponized against private citizens. Blanchard remains committed to honoring Urker's memory by advocating for legislative changes regarding cyberbullying.
She continues to post updates on her social media channels, urging her followers to prioritize empathy over speculation. The entertainment community has expressed condolences to the family, acknowledging the pain caused by the loss and the subsequent public scrutiny.
The focus remains on the legal process and the hope for a resolution that brings peace to those affected.