Ruby Franke (41), best known for her YouTube channel, “8 Passengers,” has been arrested with six charges of felony child abuse by the Washington County Attorney in Utah.
Franke rose to internet fame in 2015 through her YouTube channel “8 Passengers,” which routinely featured her, her husband, Kevin Franke (44), and their six children. The channel had a following of nearly 2.3 million subscribers before Franke took it down earlier this year. In parenting and relationship advice videos, Franke often joined her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt (54); their services have frequently been criticized for their extreme teachings, including rejecting children who do not abide by their beliefs.
Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, co-host of their podcast “ConneXions” were both arrested in late August after Franke’s 12-year-old son was found malnourished with open wounds by law enforcement. Franke’s son climbed out the window of Hildebrandt’s home and asked a nearby neighbor for food and water. In a similar emaciated condition, Franke’s 10-year-old daughter was also found in Hildebrandt’s home. Officials claimed the children’s conditions were so severe that they were transported to a local hospital. Since then, family services have cared for Franke’s four minor children. Both Franke and Hildebrandt were charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse. Each of these counts carries up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
For many, this arrest did not come as a surprise due to Franke’s controversial past. Many saw her strict parenting style as problematic and have expressed their worries over the years. In one video, Franke tells her sons that if they continued play-fighting, they would “Lose the privilege to eat dinner.” In another worrying video, Franke says her then 6-year-old daughter “needed” to go hungry after forgetting to bring her lunch to school. Franke told the camera, “Hopefully nobody gives her food, and nobody steps in and gives her a lunch because then she’s not going to learn.”
A comment made by Franke’s teenage son brought even more attention to her off-putting parenting style to mainstream audiences out of the family vlogging circle. In a 2020 video, he revealed that his bedroom had been taken away for months, and he was forced to sleep on a bean bag after playing pranks on his siblings. Because this information went mainstream, a petition demanded an investigation into the family. Ultimately, the petition received thousands of signatures, and Child Protective Services were called. The outrage led many YouTubers and TikTokers to make videos exposing the family. Older clips showing Franke’s other problematic parenting styles resurfaced. In response to the controversy, Ruby and Kevin Franke claimed that some accounts had “malicious” intentions and purposely took the clips out of context.
Neither Franke’s nor Hildebrandt’s representatives responded to any news outlets’ request for comment. Kevin Franke’s attorney also withdrew him from the abuse allegations, claiming he had no role. Franke’s children are now safe; according to Franke’s sisters and oldest daughter (20), they have a “long road ahead” to recovery.
