Gypsy Rose Blanchard launches petition to fight ‘harassment and cyberbullying’ after death of partner Ken Urker

NEED TO KNOW

• Ken Urker, the partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, died at his home in Louisiana on his 34th birthday October 1.

• Three days after his death, Blanchard said she was turning her “pain into purpose” by launching a petition against “targeted harassment and cyberbullying.”

• She shared a Change.org petition on social media in support of Kenan’s Law, an idea she created in an effort to change “how social media platforms handle repeated reports of harassment.”

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is fighting against “targeted harassment and cyberbullying” after the death of her partner, Ken Urker.

Urker died Thursday, Oct. 1, at his home in Louisiana, she confirmed to PEOPLE. A spokesperson for the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed that officers were called to a residence in Raceland around 6:15 p.m. and that Urker, 34, was found “dead on arrival.”

Once officers arrived, they located paraphernalia — including syringes and a spoon — in the bathroom, alongside a brown, powdery substance, according to the sheriff’s office report. They also found a syringe, two shot glasses and a handgun on the nightstand next to the bed.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Blanchard said she believes Urker overdosed, adding that he “hasn’t been in a good state of mind lately. He’s been drinking a lot to cope.”

Three days after his death, she shared a Change.org petition on social media in support of Kenan’s Law, an idea she created in an effort to change “how social media platforms handle repeated reports of harassment.”

Blanchard tells PEOPLE that while she has yet to speak to a committee, she has reached out to a New Orleans attorney to help refine the proposal.

“I only have my daughter and my voice,” she wrote on Instagram. “Prior to his death, Ken was the subject of massive online surveillance and what we believed crossed the line into targeted harassment and cyberbullying. Reports were made on multiple platforms, and far too often the response was simply: “No violations.” “

“Ken’s passing made me determined to turn pain into purpose,” she continued. “I can’t change what happened, but I can advocate for a better system for the next person who feels like no one is listening.”

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Stressing that the law “is not intended to silence critics or deprive anyone of free speech,” Blanchard went on to remind supporters that “public figures are still human beings and fame should never erase someone’s humanity.”

“Fame does not erase humanity,” she concluded in her message. “A model cannot always be understood one post at a time. 🤍”

Hours after Urker was found dead at his Louisiana residence, Blanchard told PEOPLE that she didn’t know if his death “was intentional or not.”

“Ken was an extraordinary father and a deeply loved man,” she said. “He will forever be my soul mate and my common thread, a bond that time, distance and even death can never erase.”

“Ken endured an unimaginable level of public surveillance and relentless cyberbullying on social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit,” she continued. “I believe the enormous weight of this surveillance and harassment had a profound impact on him, and I hope his passing reminds us that there is a real person behind every screen, every headline and every comment.”

Blanchard also told PEOPLE that she wants her daughter to know her father for who he was, rather than through the lens of online comments.

“Most of all, Ken loved our daughter, Aurora. She is a beautiful reflection of his enduring spirit, and through her, a part of him will always remain with us,” she said. “I will make sure she grows up knowing how deeply her father loved her and who he was beyond what strangers on the internet chose to say about him.”

Read the original article on People