The image of the "perfect" suburban life is usually a lie. We've seen it a million times. But what happened with Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt didn't just break the internet—it shattered a family and left people asking a question that felt almost taboo to voice at first. Were they more than just business partners?
People are obsessed with the jodi hildebrandt and ruby franke lovers theory because it explains the inexplicable. How does a mother of six, once the face of wholesome parenting on YouTube's 8 Passengers, suddenly dump her husband, isolate her kids, and move into a desert fortress with a clinical therapist? Honestly, it sounds like a bad movie plot. But for the Franke children, it was a waking nightmare.
The Shared Bed and "Spiritual Visions"
When the police bodycam footage dropped, the world saw the physical horror—the duct tape, the malnutrition, the open wounds. But the psychological web was just as tangled. Kevin Franke, Ruby’s now-estranged husband, eventually started talking. He described a domestic setup that was anything but professional.
Basically, by 2021, Jodi had completely moved into the Franke family home. She wasn't just a houseguest; she was the boss. Ruby didn't just follow Jodi's advice; she followed her into the bedroom. According to Kevin's legal filings and statements, Ruby requested an "in-home separation" from him. He was banned from the upstairs floor. Meanwhile, Ruby and Jodi were reportedly sharing a bed.
They weren't just sleeping, though. They claimed to be having shared "spiritual visions."
If you’ve ever looked into cult dynamics, this is a massive red flag. It’s called folie à deux—a shared delusion. But for those watching from the outside, the jump from "spiritual partners" to jodi hildebrandt and ruby franke lovers wasn't a big leap. When two people isolate themselves from the world, share a bed, and claim to be receiving direct revelations from God that involve torturing children to "purify" them, the "just friends" label starts to feel pretty thin.
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Shari Franke’s Bombshell Revelations
For a long time, this was all just internet gossip. Then Shari Franke, the eldest daughter, broke her silence. Her book, The House of Mother, which hit shelves recently, didn't hold back. She didn't just guess; she looked at the evidence her mother left behind.
Shari recounted finding text messages, emails, and journal entries in the Notes app on Ruby's phone. She said these records confirmed the relationship had "spilled over into the physical."
That’s a heavy statement.
It changes the narrative from one of a "mentor and student" to something far more intimate and, frankly, more manipulative. If Jodi was using a romantic or sexual connection to bind Ruby to her, it adds a layer of grooming to an already horrific situation. We aren't just talking about a business partnership gone wrong. We're talking about a complete psychological takeover.
The ConneXions Cult and the Power Shift
Jodi Hildebrandt wasn't new to this. Long before she met Ruby, she had a reputation for "exploding" families. She was a licensed therapist (though her license was eventually stripped) who used her ConneXions program to tell people they were "addicted" to everything from social media to their own spouses.
- She told men they were porn addicts.
- She told women their husbands were "in distortion."
- She told parents their children were possessed by evil spirits.
When Ruby joined ConneXions, she didn't just sign up for a class. She surrendered her life. The two women rebranded as "Moms of Truth." They sat on couches together, filming videos where they looked like a united front, lecturing the world on "Truth" with a capital T.
The chemistry was weird. You could feel it through the screen. Ruby looked at Jodi with a level of devotion that was borderline worship.
Why the "Lovers" Label Actually Matters
Some people say, "Who cares if they were lovers? The child abuse is the only thing that matters."
I get that. The crimes were monstrous. But understanding the jodi hildebrandt and ruby franke lovers dynamic is crucial for understanding how this happened. In many high-control groups, sex is used as a tool for leverage. If Jodi and Ruby were intimately involved, it explains why Ruby was willing to throw away her marriage, her career, and her children's safety.
It wasn't just a change in philosophy. It was a total displacement of her old life with a new, private world shared only with Jodi.
Even the Netflix documentary Evil Influencer (2025) touched on this, though some viewers felt it played it too safe. The documentary showed how Jodi isolated Ruby from her sisters, her parents, and finally, Kevin. By the time they moved to the house in Ivins, Utah, Ruby was completely under Jodi's thumb.
The Evidence from the Desert
The Ivins house was where the "vision" met the reality. This wasn't a home; it was a prison.
When the 12-year-old boy escaped through a window in August 2023, he didn't just run for his life—he ran to end a regime. He was emaciated. He had duct tape around his ankles. He asked for food and water.
When police raided the home, they found Ruby and Jodi together. They weren't just "working." They were living a life that had become entirely insular. The prosecution argued that the two women believed they were acting on behalf of God. They thought the abuse was "mercy."
The legal system doesn't care if they were lovers. It cares that they were co-conspirators in second-degree aggravated child abuse. They both took the plea deal. They both got the maximum sentence—consecutive terms that could keep them behind bars for 30 years.
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Where Are They Now?
Today, both women are incarcerated at the Utah State Correctional Facility. Specifically, they are in the Dell unit, which is the general population for women.
There's a dark irony there. After all the effort they spent isolating themselves from the "distorted" world, they are now surrounded by it, living in the same complex, likely seeing each other in the yard or the mess hall.
Kevin Franke has since filed multiple lawsuits against Jodi. He’s suing for negligence, emotional distress, and misrepresentation. He claims she weaponized his religion and his marriage to destroy him. Whether he truly didn't know the extent of the abuse while it was happening is still a massive point of debate online. Some see him as a victim; others see him as an enabler who waited too long to act.
Insights for the Future
The case of Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt is a cautionary tale about the "wellness to cult" pipeline. It shows how easily a search for "better parenting" can lead someone into the arms of a predator.
If you are looking for actionable ways to protect yourself or others from this kind of influence, keep these points in mind:
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- Isolation is the first sign. If a mentor or "coach" tells you to cut off your family or spouse because they are "toxic" or "in distortion," run.
- Check the credentials. Jodi claimed to be a psychologist when she wasn't. Always verify professional standing through state boards.
- The "Secret Knowledge" Trap. If someone claims to have a direct line to God or "Truth" that contradicts common sense and basic human empathy, they are manipulating you.
- Pay attention to the kids. Children don't lie about being hungry or being hurt. If a parenting style requires "tough love" that leaves physical or deep emotional scars, it isn't parenting—it's abuse.
The world might never get a formal confession about the jodi hildebrandt and ruby franke lovers rumors from the women themselves. They are too busy serving their time. But for those who lived through it—and those who watched the downfall of 8 Passengers in real-time—the evidence of their intimate, toxic bond is written in the wreckage of a family that once had everything.
To stay informed on the ongoing civil trials involving Kevin Franke and the latest updates from Shari Franke’s advocacy work, you can follow the official court transcripts and victim advocacy portals in Utah. These resources provide the most direct, unfiltered information on how the family is rebuilding and what legal precedents are being set to prevent "influencer-led" abuse in the future.