Gypsy Rose Blanchard‘s first relationship with Ken Urker ultimately ended while she was still behind bars, a topic she candidly addresses in her memoir, “My Time to Stand,” released on December 10.

In the book, the 33-year-old reflects on experiencing her first heartbreak while serving time in prison. Gypsy, who spent eight years in federal custody for her involvement in the murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, began corresponding with Urker shortly after the release of the HBO documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” in May 2017.

Their connection began when Ken Urker sent Gypsy Rose Blanchard a letter to the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri, where she was serving her sentence.

“His voice leaped off the page, as if he were sitting right in front of me,” she shared in her book. “Holding the paper, I could feel his energy. He was just a cool guy. ‘Hi, my name is Ken.’”

The relationship quickly blossomed, with the pair speaking nearly every day through letters and phone calls.  When Urker finally met Gypsy in person, he sealed his romantic feelings with what he described as “the most passionate kiss.”

Just one year later, Urker returned to visit Blanchard, this time with a life-changing question—he proposed. “We kept our engagement private, only telling our closest family,” she recalled. “Then ‘The Act’ aired on Hulu, and I went from being known to a being pseudocelebrity.”

“My personal life was a carcass to vultures to feast on,” she admitted. “The media, including true crime armchair enthusiasts, investigated everything about me, including Ken. The invasion was really hard on him,” especially she he is a “private person.”

According to Gypsy, the “attention and scrutiny” from the media took a toll on Urker, particularly after news of their engagement was allegedly leaked by someone connected to a family member.

Although she initially held the press responsible for her then-fiancé’s doubts, she now admits that Urker ended their engagement for an entirely different reason.

“I thought at first that it was Ken’s discomfort with the popularity of ‘The Act’ and the widening of my reputation that led him to end our relationship,” the ex-con said. “I was wrong. At the time of this writing, Ken has reached out to explain and set the record straight.”

“There were many adults in his life, presumably much ‘wiser’ than he, who suggested it wasn’t the right time for me to be married,” she continued. “‘If you love her, you’ll set her free,’ was the common piece of advice he’d hear again and again. I see now, he believed he was acting in my best by sacrificing his own needs and wants.”

Gypsy and Anderson’s relationship began in 2020 when Anderson, a special education teacher from Louisiana, initiated contact with Gypsy by writing letters to her in prison. Their correspondence soon evolved into a romance, and they met face-to-face for the first time in June 2021.

The following year, in July 2022, the couple tied the knot in a prison ceremony while Gypsy was still serving her sentence for her role in the murder of her mother, Dee Dee.

After her release on parole in December 2023, Gypsy and Anderson’s marriage faced challenges. By March 2024, Gypsy announced their separation, citing a need to focus on her personal growth and self-discovery. The following month, in April 2024, she officially filed for divorce.

The proceedings were marked by mutual restraining orders, hinting at unresolved personal conflicts between the former couple. Gypsy later reflected on the divorce as an emotionally taxing experience, describing it as “heartbreaking.”

Similarly, Anderson shared his sorrow over the split, revealing that he had envisioned a long future with Gypsy and was devastated by the outcome.