Gypsy Rose Blanchard has released private text exchanges with her late ex-fiancé Ken Urker to counter speculation about a custody fight over their daughter.
The 35-year-old shared the September conversation with the outlet to show that she and Urker, 34, had already settled how they would share time with Aurora Raina, now 21 months old, without court intervention. The messages date to Sept. 2, weeks before Urker’s death on Oct. 1, his 34th birthday, at his home in Raceland, Louisiana.
In the exchange, Blanchard opened by telling Urker she would leave Aurora with him that Friday and retrieve her Sunday evening. She then raised the topic of formalizing their arrangement.
“I spoke to an attorney about getting that joint custody agreement and he said we would both have to come in and sign it and he can file it and it would be done,” she wrote. “It costs 1500 but it’s worth it for peace of mind for us both.”
“Regardless of if we stay together or not, it’s essential,” she added.
Urker pushed back on involving attorneys at all.
“There’s no need to involve lawyers unless you’re contesting the agreement,” he responded. “It’s not necessary.”
Blanchard expressed uncertainty about whether their informal plan held legal weight.
“I thought it wasn’t legal unless it’s through lawyer,” she replied.
Urker clarified his position in a final message: “The only reason you would get lawyers involved is if you or I don’t agree to the arrangement we currently have.”
The texts emerged after Urker was found dead following a welfare check requested by a family member when he failed to appear for work. Authorities discovered drugs, drug paraphernalia and a handgun at the scene, according to reports. In 911 dispatch logs, Blanchard’s sister-in-law Anita Blanchard could be heard telling a dispatcher that Urker had threatened suicide shortly before he was found.
Blanchard previously said she suspected an overdose, noting she was unsure “if it was intentional or not” because he was “not in a good state of mind lately.”
Since his death, Blanchard has publicly mourned the man she once planned to marry. She posted never-before-seen photos of Urker with Aurora on Instagram, writing, “You will always be my greatest love story. You will be remembered and loved forever. ❤️”
She also attended an intimate viewing for Urker and has been invited by his family to his funeral in Texas. Blanchard said that their last in-person meeting came in September, when she surprised him with a Burger King delivery — the same month as the custody texts.
“It was such a simple, silly little moment, but one that now means more to me than I could ever put into words,” she reflected.
Blanchard and Urker welcomed Aurora in January 2025. The couple had reconnected after Blanchard’s release from prison in December 2023 following her conviction in the 2015 murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who had subjected her to years of fabricated illnesses and medical abuse. The case drew national attention and was dramatized in multiple television productions.
Blanchard’s decision to share the private messages appears aimed at quieting speculation that surfaced after Urker’s sudden death, with observers questioning whether his family might challenge her custody of their child. The texts depict two parents who, despite their romantic uncertainty, had reached what Urker considered an acceptable understanding about their daughter’s care.
Blanchard has not indicated whether she now plans to formalize custody through legal channels following Urker’s death.