Everyone thought they knew the Frankes. For years, the 8 Passengers YouTube channel was the gold standard for wholesome, large-family content. Millions of people watched Ruby Franke pack school lunches, handle sibling squabbles, and navigate life in their pristine Utah home. Then, the world watched it all burn down.
In 2023, the arrest of Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt sent shockwaves through the internet. But it wasn't just a "downfall." It was a descent. The new Hulu docuseries Ruby Franke: Devil in the Family tries to pull back the curtain on how a suburban mom went from lecturing about "living in truth" to being sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated child abuse.
Honestly, the footage in the doc is hard to stomach. You've got Shari and Chad—the two oldest children—finally speaking out on camera. They describe a house that had become a prison long before the police ever showed up. It wasn't just about "strict parenting" anymore. It was something way darker.
The Connection Most People Missed
The turning point was Jodi Hildebrandt. She wasn't just a life coach; she was a catalyst.
Through her organization, ConneXions, she preached a philosophy of "Truth" that was basically a checklist for isolation. She convinced Ruby that her children were literally possessed by evil spirits. Think about that for a second. A mother was told—and believed—that her own kids were "demonically possessed" and needed to be "broken" to be saved.
In the series, Kevin Franke recalls how Jodi would go into "possessed trances" during counseling sessions. It sounds like a horror movie plot, but this was the reality for the Franke kids.
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What happened behind the screen?
- Isolation: Ruby began cutting off contact with her own parents and siblings.
- The "Bean Bag" Incident: Fans remember when Chad was forced to sleep on a bean bag for seven months. At the time, Ruby laughed it off as discipline.
- Withholding Food: It started with "if you don't do your chores, you don't eat." It ended with two children being found emaciated in a desert mansion.
The "Devil in the Family" title refers to this specific delusion. Ruby and Jodi weren't just punishing kids for being naughty. They were fighting a holy war in their living room. They used duct tape and starvation as "acts of love" to cast out what they called "distortions."
The Moment it All Cracked
The world changed on August 30, 2023. Ruby’s 12-year-old son, Russell, climbed out of a window at Jodi’s house in Ivins, Utah. He ran to a neighbor’s house, begging for food and water. He had duct tape on his ankles and wrists.
When the police arrived, they found Ruby’s 9-year-old daughter, Eve, hiding in a closet. She was petrified.
The documents from the case are harrowing. The kids were forced to work outside in the Utah summer heat without shoes. They were kicked while Ruby wore boots. They were held underwater. This wasn't "parenting advice" gone wrong. It was a concentration-camp-like setting, as the Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke famously described it.
Where the Franke Family Stands in 2026
Fast forward to today. The fallout is still happening.
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Ruby and Jodi are both serving consecutive terms in the Utah State Correctional Facility. Under Utah law, even with multiple counts, their total sentence is capped at 30 years. Ruby’s first parole hearing is actually coming up in December 2026. The board has already told her she needs to complete cognitive behavioral therapy and mental health evaluations before they even consider a release date.
As for the rest of the family? It’s complicated.
Kevin Franke finalized his divorce from Ruby in March 2025. He got the house in Springville and full custody of the minor children. But the internet hasn't exactly been kind to him. Many people, including former viewers, still wonder how he didn't know what was happening, even though his legal team insists he was separated from Ruby for over a year before the arrest.
Shari Franke has become a powerhouse in her own right. Her 2025 memoir, The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, really laid out the trauma of growing up as a "digital child." She’s now a major advocate for child welfare laws, helping push through legislation like Utah’s SB24, which aims to protect kids from the exploitative side of family vlogging.
The Real Cost of "Momfluencing"
The Ruby Franke: Devil in the Family saga isn't just a true crime story. It’s a warning.
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For years, people saw red flags. They signed petitions. They called DCFS. But the "wholesome" image of a successful YouTuber provided a shield. The documentary makes it clear: the camera was a weapon. Every "like" and "subscribe" helped fund the very isolation that allowed the abuse to escalate.
If you’re following this case, the next big milestone is that December 2026 parole hearing. It will be the first time since her sentencing that we’ll see if Ruby has actually "awakened" from what she called her "dark delusion," or if the damage is permanent.
What you can do now:
- Educate yourself on the signs of coercive control. This case shows it happens in "perfect" families too.
- Support child influencer laws. Many states are finally catching up to the reality that kids shouldn't be their parents' primary source of income.
- Look for the 2025 Hulu docuseries. It provides the most comprehensive look at the journals and unseen footage that weren't available during the initial trial.
The Franke story is a reminder that the "Truth" people preach online is often the furthest thing from reality.