RUBY Franke first rose to fame as a popular YouTuber, but her life has taken a pretty dramatic turn since then.
She is now serving a prison sentence after being found guilty of child abuse, and is the subject of the new Hulu documentary, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke.
Ruby Franke was married to Kevin Franke[/caption]
Who is Ruby Franke?
Ruby Franke made a name for herself as a family YouTuber.
The 43-year-old would upload videos of her family and managed to build up quite the fan base.
The mother-of-six would give parenting advice to 2.3million followers on her now-deleted 8 Passengers video channel.
By June 2020, the channel had about 2.5million subscribers and had racked up a staggering 1billion views.
The Frankes were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Their story is now being told in a harrowing new three-part Hulu docuseries called Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, premiering February 27, 2025.
What is the 8 passenger story?
Franke is now serving a jail sentence after being found guilty of child abuse.
She was arrested in the Utah city of Ivins in August 2023 after her malnourished 12-year-old son climbed out of a window at the home of Jodi Hildebrandt to ask for food and water from a neighbour.
He was found with open wounds and bound with duct tape.
Another of Franke’s daughters was later found in a similar condition in Hildebrandt’s home.
What happened to Ruby Franke’s son, Chad?
Back in 2020 Franke’s son Chad, who was 15 at the time, said that his parents had made him sleep on a beanbag for seven months.
This was reportedly as punishment for pranking his younger brother.
His parents went on to say that they offered him a guest bed or an inflatable bed to sleep on instead.
According to the Hulu series, Chad said: “[Franke] just wanted to show the view of a Mormon happy family, but they only saw what we wanted to show them.”
What happened to Ruby Franke’s daughter, Shari Franke?
Franke’s eldest daughter Shari broke her silence in October 2023 as she addressed the fact that her mother had been arrested.
Shari posted to Instagram about what she had been going through.
“What Ruby has done, it just crossed a line of abusive to just … psychotic”
Shari Franke
She wrote: “There’s literally not even words to describe how upside down my life has become.
“I’ve cried, had an infinite number of panic attacks, had way too much ice-cream, and yet life goes on.
“Therapy has literally saved me, but God has too. My life is somehow becoming more beautiful and fulfilling, despite all the terrible things going on.”
She added: “I’d appreciate your prayers and thoughts for my family and myself. Words can’t express the gratitude I feel for you all, and I feel your love.”
Shari also shared a photo of police officers outside the family home with the caption: “Finally.”
She says in the Hulu documentary: “What Ruby has done, it just crossed a line of abusive to just … psychotic”.
Shari has now detailed her upbringing in an abusive household in her memoir, The House of My Mother.
It was revealed Kevin called the police on their estranged eldest daughter two days after his wife was arrested.
Kevin Franke, who is Ruby Franke’s estranged husband, told police on September 1, 2023, that Shari had broken into their home and stolen hard drives.
He told officers he wanted her arrested for burglary according to an incident report obtained by Fox News Digital.
How long was Ruby Franke jailed for?
Franke pleaded guilty to starving and abusing her children.
She appeared in court along with her former business partner Jodi Hildebrandt who received the same sentence.
For the past four years, I’ve chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion.
Ruby Franke
The judge sentenced them both to serve four terms of one to 15 years each.
The sentences will run consecutively and are the maximum for each count under Utah law.
The amount time they will ultimately serve will be determined by the state’s parole board.
At her sentencing Franke apologised to her children, saying she had “believed dark was light and right was wrong. I would do anything in this world for you. I took from you all that was soft, and safe and good.”
She then told the court: “For the past four years, I’ve chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion.”
Who is Kevin Franke?
Kevin Franke is the husband of Ruby Franke.
The pair share six children – Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve.
The whole family would feature on the YouTube channel.
Is Kevin Franke still married to Ruby?
Kevin filed for divorce from his wife in November 2023.
This came months after she was charged with child abuse.
It was reported that the couple separated before her arrest over a difference of opinions on parenting styles.
Kevin and their oldest son, Chad, have now spoken out ahead of the documentary.
Speaking to People magazine, Kevin said Hildebrandt’s move to the Franke home was “uncomfortably intimate”.
“The devil knocked, and we opened the door”, Kevin said.
“Jodi began to live at our home. It was uncomfortably intimate.
“Weird things started happening. Ruby said the children were demonically possessed. That was the spark that blew the powder keg.”
Kevin and Chad explained that Hildebrandt started calling the shots when it came to disciplining the kids at home.
They said decisions like making the children sleep on sleeping bags or banning them from sports was all done under the guidance of a woman they believed was a professional family counsellor.
Kevin added: “I definitely voiced my opposition and concern, and it was always flipped back on to me.”
As a father of six, he insisted that he had “no idea” any physical violence was happening because Ruby kept it so well hidden from him.
However, Kevin claims that despite what the media and public might think, the “criminal” abuses that came to light with Ruby’s arrest in 2023 weren’t happening before that.
According to him, things took a dark turn only after Jodi became involved with their family.
Kevin reportedly asked his ex to stop sending him letters from jail.
He said: “The last letter that I received from her from prison was maybe in March or April of last year.
“And then I requested the Department of Corrections to ask her to stop writing me.”
Kevin admitted, “I didn’t want to hear anymore. I didn’t like what she was saying.”
How to watch Abused by Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke
Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke premieres on February 27, 2025, diving into the events that led to both women’s arrests.
Directed by Olly Lambert (Aftershock: Everest), the documentary marks the first time Ruby Franke’s eldest children, Shari and Chad, share their stories in detail on camera.
The three-part series also features interviews with Ruby’s estranged husband, Kevin, as well as law enforcement officials and former neighbours of the Franke family.
