Content warning: This story discusses child abuse.
Ruby Franke‘s kids are making their voices heard as she continues to serve time on child abuse charges.
The controversial YouTuber’s 11-year-old and 16-year-old daughters condemned her past actions in statements read by their father Kevin Franke at a House Business, Labor and Commerce Committee hearing in Utah Feb. 18.
During the meeting, a bill was passed that extended protection to kids with influencer parents, requiring creators who make more than $150,000 off content featuring their children to place a percentage of the revenue into a trust fund.
“As kids, you don’t realize what you’re subjected to,” Ruby’s 16-year-old daughter began in her statement, per The Salt Lake Tribune. “You’re selling your life, your privacy, your body and stories to the entire world. And as a child, you’re involuntarily giving up all of that. You’re selling your childhood.”
She said had the bill been law when Ruby was still vlogging under her 8 Passengers channel, “My mom would not have been able to withdraw all of my savings I had from doing YouTube.”
“Though there is no amount of money that can make up for that loss,” the teenager continued, “the least that can be done now is making sure the child is getting paid for her work and has the right to remove it and walk away if she wants to.”
It was a sentiment shared by her younger sister, who said starring in Ruby’s parenting vlogs “ruined my childhood.”
“I felt ‘happy,’ but I really wasn’t,” the 11-year-old shared in her own statement. “I worked hard for that money. I acted like someone I wasn’t in front of the camera, and I earned that money. But I feel like my mom used me for money.”
She added that she is now “stuck with the trauma of YouTube.”
“Even now, I can barely make friends, because my whole life I was the center of the attention,” the tween explained. “But now, without even realizing it, I seek attention from others, or I feel like they don’t like me.”
Ruby and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt are each serving four consecutive one to 15 year sentences—equivalent to four to 60 years in prison, but will be capped at 30 years in the state of Utah—for aggravated child abuse.
The two were arrested in 2023 after one of Ruby’s sons escaped from Jodi’s home and ran to a neighbor’s house, where he asked for food and water, according to Utah authorities. Upon arrival at the scene, police said they found the boy in an emaciated state with open wounds and duct tape wrapped around his extremities. When officers searched Jodi’s residence, they discovered another one of Ruby’s children in similar malnourishment, per police.
Ruby and Jodi—who were offering life-coaching service through their ConneXions channel—pleaded guilty to their child abuse charges.
After receiving her prison sentence in 2024, Ruby tearfully apologized for “my distorted version of reality” that “went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me.”
“To my babies, you are a part of me. I believed dark was light and right was wrong,” she continued at her sentencing. “I would do anything in this world for you. I took from you all that was soft, and safe, and good.”
To learn more about Ruby’s case, keep reading.
Aug. 30, 2023: Children Found Malnourished
Utah police received a call about a starved child being found, they shared in a press release. The minor—who appeared “emaciated and malnourished” with “open wounds and duct tape around the extremities”—was taken to the hospital in “severe” condition.
He was later identified as YouTuber Ruby Franke‘s 12-year-old son, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by NBC News. He had been at the home of Ruby’s business partner Jodi Hildebrant and had climbed out of a window before going to a neighbor’s house to ask for help, per the document.
Police then searched a nearby home, where another child was found “in a similar physical condition of malnourishment” and was also hospitalized, per the press release.
Authorities later explained that they discovered Ruby’s 9-year-old daughter “petrified” while sitting by herself in an empty closet in Jodi’s house, per evidence released by the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
Aug. 30, 2023: Arrest
Ruby was arrested for aggravated child abuse charges in Utah along with Jodi, who in 2007 established a life coaching service called ConneXions, which former clients described to NBC News as a “cult-like” program based on principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Aug. 31, 2023: Ruby’s Daughter Speaks Out
On Aug. 31, E! reported that Shari Franke, Ruby’s estranged adult daughter, reacted to the news on her Instagram Story.
“Me and my family are so glad justice is being served,” wrote Shari, who was born in 2003. “We’ve been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up. Kids are safe, but there’s a long road ahead.”
Aug. 31, 2023: Ruby’s Sisters React to Arrest
Ruby’s sisters Ellie Mecham, Bonnie Hoellein and Julie Deru spoke out as well, saying the YouTuber’s arrest “needed to happen.”
“For the last 3 years we have kept quiet on the subject of Ruby Franke for the sake of her children,” they wrote in a joint Instagram statement. “Behind the public scene, we have done everything to try and make sure the kids were safe. We wouldn’t feel right about moving forward with regular content without addressing the most recent events. Once we do, we will not be commenting on it any further.”
The siblings said Ruby’s kids are “now safe, which is the number one priority.”
Sept. 6, 2023: Charges Filed
The former 8 Passengers YouTuber and her business partner Jodi were each formally charged with six counts of felony child abuse by the Washington County Attorney in Utah.
Sept. 6, 2023: Kevin Franke Breaks Silence
Ruby’s husband Kevin Franke came forward to deny involvement in her alleged crimes. His lawyer Randy Kester told Good Morning America the spouses had been living apart for 13 months before the arrest.
“He is a good person, he’s very gentle,” the attorney said. “He’s a very gentle guy. And no one has ever made any allegations that he’s physically abused those kids or anyone else.”
Nov. 29, 2023: Kevin Files for Divorce
Kevin officially filed for divorce from the Utah influencer, according to a domestic relations injunction obtained by NBC News.
Dec. 18: Guilty Pleas
E! confirmed Dec. 18 that Ruby had entered a guilty plea for four of her charges. At the time, per the Associated Press, she stated, “With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, guilty.”
Jodi would also plead guilty to four counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse.
Feb. 20, 2024: Prison Sentencing
Both women were sentenced to four consecutive one to 15 year sentences, which will be capped at the 30-year max in Utah.
Feb. 20, 2024: Ruby Apologizes
The parent vlogger apologized during her sentencing to her six kids and estranged husband.
“For the past four years, I’ve chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion,” she said in court. “My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me.”
She continued, “To my babies, you are a part of me. I 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.”
March 25, 2024: Ruby’s Diary Revealed
Prosecutors released her chilling journal entries, in which she wrote about her mistreatment of her children, including her “Satanic” tween son.
“He slithers & sneaks around looking for opportunities when no one is watching & then he scurries,” she wrote in an entry from July 10, 2023, which was her son’s 12th birthday. “If he wants to emulate the savior, he needs to be 100% obedient with exactness. No wavering, no hiding.”
She wrote about punishing her children by beating them and withholding food and water.
March 25, 2024: Kevin’s Interview With Authorities Becomes Public
Prosecutors released audio footage of Kevin talking with investigators after Ruby was arrested, in which he spoke about alleged restrictions he faced in their house.
“There were all these rules now placed on me, like I can leave when I want but I couldn’t come back until Ruby gave me permission,” Kevin said in an audio clip obtained by E!. “I couldn’t come into the kitchen to eat until Ruby gave me permission and the upstairs where Jodi was was completely offline. I couldn’t go upstairs anymore in my own house. And Ruby would dictate all of the terms of how our interactions would be, when we would talk. And that was hard.”
