Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who served eight and a half years for her role in the death of her abusive mother, announced on Tuesday that she is expecting her first child with her ex-fiancé, Ken Urker.
Blanchard shared the news on social media, expressing excitement and surprise about the pregnancy. “This was not planned at all. It was completely unexpected, but we’re both very excited to take on this new journey of parenthood,” she said in a YouTube video.
Reflecting on the changes in her life since learning she is expecting, Blanchard emphasized a shift in her priorities. “Suddenly it’s not about you,” she stated. “It’s not about anything other than the tiny little life that’s inside you that you are now in charge of protecting.”
Blanchard became visibly emotional as she spoke about her hopes for her child. “That little tiny life is a baby, a little tiny human that’s yours. That you have to make sure you protect, you love, you take care of and all of the things that I wished I could have had when I was little.”
Blanchard’s past is marked by her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, subjecting her to years of medical abuse under the guise of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Dee Dee falsely claimed Gypsy suffered from multiple severe illnesses, including leukemia and muscular dystrophy, to gain attention and sympathy.
The case gained national attention in 2015 when Dee Dee was found stabbed to death in their home near Springfield, Missouri. An investigation revealed Gypsy had convinced her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, to kill her mother as a means of escaping the abuse.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison under a plea deal due to the extraordinary circumstances of her case. She was released in December 2023 and has since sought to rebuild her life, stating, “For me, getting to prison was a chance to start a life for myself in terms of gaining independence from everyone.”
Blanchard and Urker met and became engaged while she was still in prison but ended their relationship in 2022. Following their breakup, Blanchard married Louisiana teacher Ryan Anderson in a prison wedding ceremony in July 2022. The couple separated in March.
Blanchard’s announcement marks a new chapter in her life as she prepares for motherhood, leaving behind a tumultuous past for a future focused on her child.
