Gypsy-Rose Blanchard launches 'Kenan's Law' petition after Ken Urker's death
Gypsy-Rose Blanchard calls on social media platforms to do more against harassment
Gypsy-Rose Blanchard has started a petition called Kenan's Law. It asks social media companies to do more when people report online harassment.
She launched it after the death of her partner, Ken Urker.
In the petition, Blanchard wrote that she and Urker reported harassment and bullying aimed at him on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Reddit many times.
They felt the content went beyond criticism. "Ken made reports. I made reports. Videos were reported. Comments were reported. Posts were reported," she wrote.
"And many times, the answer we received was: 'No violation.' That is the problem I want to change."
She said famous people are still human. "Public figures read the comments. They see the videos. They have children. They have parents," she wrote. "Fame does not erase humanity."
Urker, 34, was found dead Thursday at a home in Raceland, Louisiana. Captain Brennan Matherne of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Department told Variety that deputies went to the home after a 6:15 p.m. call and found him "dead upon arrival."
The sheriff's office is still investigating, and no cause of death has been released.
Blanchard wrote in the petition that Urker "recently died following a suspected overdose." She said she does not know if it was on purpose and will not guess about things that are not yet known.
Urker and Blanchard also share a daughter, Aurora. Urker also appeared on the Lifetime reality show Gypsy Rose: Life After Lockup, which ran for two seasons.
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