5 Shocking Revelations From The Ruby Franke Documentary And The Franke Family’s Life In Late 2025
The dark narrative of Ruby Franke, once a beloved "mommy vlogger" who amassed millions of followers on her "8 Passengers" YouTube channel, continues to captivate and horrify the world. As of late 2025, the full scope of her crimes—and the cultural phenomenon of her downfall—has been meticulously documented across multiple major docuseries. These films, including Hulu’s Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke and Discovery+’s Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence, offer a chilling, unfiltered look at how a seemingly perfect, Latter-day Saints family life devolved into a case of aggravated child abuse that led to Franke’s and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt's imprisonment. The ongoing impact of the case has even spurred legislative change in Utah, providing a fresh and vital perspective on the Franke family's saga.
The documentaries serve as a crucial public record, diving deep into the disturbing events of August 2023 when Franke’s emaciated 12-year-old son, R.F., escaped a home in Ivins, Utah, seeking help from a neighbor. The subsequent arrest of Franke and Hildebrandt, and their eventual guilty pleas to four counts of felony child abuse, shattered the illusion of the "8 Passengers" brand and exposed a pattern of severe neglect and psychological manipulation. For anyone seeking the definitive account of this tragedy, these docuseries are essential viewing, featuring interviews with family members, legal experts, and former associates who paint a terrifying picture of control and corruption.
Ruby Franke: A Complete Biography and Timeline of Downfall
Ruby Franke’s life, which began as a typical Utah mother of six, became a public spectacle through the lens of a camera before descending into a criminal case that shocked the nation. Her biography is inextricably linked to the rise and fall of family vlogging.
- Full Name: Ruby Franke (née Griffiths)
- Date of Birth: January 18, 1982
- Spouse: Kevin Franke (married 1999; separated 2023)
- Children: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve
- YouTube Channel: 8 Passengers (Active 2015–2022; deleted 2023)
- Subscribers at Peak: Approximately 2.5 million
- Business Partner/Associate: Jodi Hildebrandt (Life coach/Therapist)
- Key Organization: ConneXions Classroom (Self-help/Parenting service with Hildebrandt)
- Arrest Date: August 30, 2023, in Ivins, Utah
- Charges: Six counts of felony aggravated child abuse (reduced to four in plea deal)
- Plea: Guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse (December 2023)
- Sentence: Four consecutive sentences of 1 to 15 years in prison (January 2024), with a potential maximum of 30 years.
- Current Status (Late 2025): Incarcerated in a Utah correctional facility.
The timeline of her downfall began subtly, with viewers of the "8 Passengers" channel raising concerns over Franke's extreme parenting methods, which included withholding food and punishing her children by taking away their beds. These concerns intensified after she partnered with "life coach" Jodi Hildebrandt to form the ConneXions Classroom, a service that promoted highly controversial and often punitive disciplinary strategies. The documentaries meticulously trace the shift from strict parenting to outright abuse, culminating in the escape of her son in 2023, who was found with deep lacerations and signs of severe malnutrition.
The Two Major Docuseries: Devil in the Family vs. Cult of Sin
The public's fascination with the Franke case has resulted in two major docuseries, each offering a distinct but equally compelling view of the tragedy. Understanding the difference between these two productions is key to grasping the full picture of the "8 Passengers" controversy.
1. Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke (Hulu/Disney+)
Released in early 2024, this three-part docuseries focuses heavily on the public-facing image of the Franke family and the immediate aftermath of the arrest. It is arguably the most publicized of the two, featuring direct commentary from key family members, including Ruby's estranged husband, Kevin Franke, and her oldest daughter, Shari Franke.
- Core Focus: The rapid unravelling of the "mommy vlogger" persona, the role of social media in enabling the abuse, and the family's internal struggle.
- Key Revelations: The documentary includes footage and police bodycam video showing the conditions of the house and the state of the children. Shari Franke’s interviews are particularly powerful, detailing how she had been estranged from her mother and actively trying to get her younger siblings help before the arrest.
- Intention: To explore how a successful family brand could hide such a dark secret and to highlight the dangers of over-sharing children's lives online.
2. Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence (Discovery+)
This docuseries places a stronger emphasis on the relationship between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt and the "cult-like" nature of their ConneXions organization. It delves into the manipulative psychological control that Hildebrandt exerted over Franke, which many believe was the catalyst for the escalation of the abuse.
- Core Focus: The psychological manipulation, extreme religious interpretations, and the "synergistic evil" of the Franke-Hildebrandt partnership.
- Key Revelations: Features interviews with former ConneXions clients and associates who describe the bizarre and controlling "therapy" methods used by Hildebrandt and adopted by Franke. It explores the concept of "distortion" and "principles of truth" that were used to justify their cruel actions.
- Intention: To expose the predatory nature of certain online self-help/therapy groups and the dangerous influence of a rogue therapist.
The Long-Term Fallout: Franke Family Updates and Legislative Change (Late 2025)
As Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt serve their sentences, the lives of the remaining family members and the legal landscape of vlogging continue to evolve, providing the most current and essential updates for late 2025.
The Children and Kevin Franke's New Life
The six Franke children—Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve—are reportedly in a safer, more stable environment, with the younger children under the care of family members or the state. The oldest daughter, Shari Franke, has become an outspoken advocate for child protection and has used her platform to speak about her experience, providing a powerful voice for her siblings. Meanwhile, Ruby's ex-husband, Kevin Franke, has moved forward with his life. In a recent development that made headlines, Kevin Franke remarried in late 2025, tying the knot with Becca Bevan. This remarriage signals a significant step in the family's attempt to find normalcy and healing after years of trauma and public scrutiny.
New Utah State Law: Protecting Child Content Creators
Perhaps the most significant long-term consequence of the Ruby Franke case is the legislative change it inspired. In a move widely reported in 2025, Utah enacted new protections for children featured in online content, often dubbed "Frankie's Law" by the media.
- The Law's Purpose: To ensure that a portion of the revenue generated from family vlogging channels is set aside in a trust for the children featured, protecting their future financial interests.
- Impact: This law is a direct response to the "8 Passengers" channel, where the children's lives were monetized without their consent or direct benefit. It sets a national precedent for regulating the lucrative and often exploitative world of child content creation and "sharenting."
The documentaries on Ruby Franke are more than just true crime narratives; they are a stark warning about the unchecked power of social media and the devastating consequences of extreme ideological control. The Franke family's story, from their rise on YouTube to the prison sentences and subsequent legislative action, remains a critical case study in the dangers lurking behind a seemingly perfect digital facade.
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