Where Are Ruby Franke's Kids Now? The Shocking Truth Behind The YouTube Façade
Ruby Franke kids—a phrase that once drew clicks and curiosity from millions of followers—now represents one of the most harrowing child abuse cases to emerge from the world of family vlogging. What appeared to be a portrait of wholesome, bustling family life on YouTube concealed a nightmare of starvation, restraint, and psychological torment. Since the arrest of former YouTuber Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt in August 2023, a nation has asked with growing alarm: where are Ruby Franke's six children now? The journey from viral fame to foster care, from silent suffering to tentative healing, is a complex and painful story of resilience, justice, and the devastating consequences of betrayal.
This comprehensive investigation delves into every aspect of the case, tracking the current whereabouts and well-being of Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve Franke. We will explore the stark contrast between their curated online presence and the grim reality uncovered by authorities, detail the legal outcomes for Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, and examine the lasting impact on the children and their father, Kevin Franke. The story of Ruby Franke's kids is not just a true crime chronicle; it is a critical examination of social media's滤镜, the failures of the child welfare system, and the long road to recovery for young victims.
The Franke Family: A Biographical Snapshot
Before the scandal, Ruby Franke was a prominent figure in the "large family vlogging" niche. To understand the depth of the betrayal, it's essential to first look at the public persona she cultivated.
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| Personal Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ruby Franke (formerly Ruby Griffiths) |
| Date of Birth | Circa 1983 (exact date not widely publicized) |
| YouTube Channel | "8 Passengers" (focused on family life with 6 children) |
| Husband (Ex) | Kevin Franke (divorced in 2022) |
| Business Partner | Jodi Hildebrandt (co-conspirator in abuse) |
| Number of Children | 6 (Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, Eve) |
| Arrest Date | August 30, 2023 |
| Criminal Charges | Aggravated Child Abuse (6 counts) |
| Sentence | 4-30 years in Utah State Prison (2024) |
| Current Status | Incarcerated; children in state custody/foster care |
The channel's name, "8 Passengers," whimsically referred to the family unit of two parents and six kids. Their content showcased homeschooling, family vacations, and the chaotic joys of a big household, amassing over 2 million subscribers. This carefully constructed image of abundant love and patience made the subsequent revelations all the more shocking to their audience and the public.
The Polished Vlogs vs. The Dark Reality
On the surface, vlogger Ruby Franke appeared to have the perfect family. The Utah mom made a name for herself posting about life with her husband and six kids on her YouTube channel, offering a window into a bustling, faith-centered home. Videos showed family game nights, birthday celebrations, and heartfelt talks about parenting challenges. This curated reality built a massive, trusting community of followers who saw Ruby as a relatable, if sometimes strict, mother managing a large brood with grace.
But behind the polished vlogs of her six children—Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve—was a reality far darker than anyone could have imagined. The abuse was not a sudden lapse but a prolonged, calculated pattern of cruelty. According to court documents and testimony, Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt subjected the children to severe food deprivation, forcing them to eat only plain oatmeal and sometimes nothing at all for days. They were subjected to bizarre and cruel " punishments," including being bound with duct tape, forced to sleep on a bare floor without bedding, and denied basic hygiene. The psychological abuse was equally severe, involving manipulation, threats, and the systematic alienation of the children from their father, Kevin Franke.
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The case garnered national attention due to Franke’s popularity on social media, where she gave fans an intimate, seemingly honest look at her family's life. This created a profound sense of betrayal among viewers. How could a mother who spoke so openly about parenting be committing such atrocities? The answer lies in the stark disconnect between performance and reality, a chasm that her children were forced to inhabit daily.
The Day the Mask Slipped: The Arrest and Discovery
On August 30th of this year, former YouTuber Ruby Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested for aggravated child abuse. The catalyst was an act of desperate courage from her youngest son. Franke’s son, who is only 12 years old, was found malnourished with his wrists bound together. He had been subjected to days of starvation and physical restraint at Hildebrandt's home. In a moment of sheer will, he was found after he climbed out of a window at Hildebrandt’s house and ran to a neighbor for help. This emaciated, terrified child with bound wrists was the first undeniable proof that the "8 Passengers" channel was a grotesque fiction.
The subsequent investigation revealed a home environment of squalor and deprivation at both Franke's residence and Hildebrandt's property. Children were found with severe weight loss, signs of prolonged hunger, and psychological trauma. The arrest exposed a joint operation of abuse between Franke and Hildebrandt, who ran a "parenting counseling" business together—a horrifying irony given their methods. In 2023, Jodi Hildebrandt was arrested alongside popular YouTuber Ruby Franke in Utah, marking the end of a dual predator's reign of terror over six vulnerable children.
The Legal Aftermath: Sentencing and Charges
Ruby Franke, a former YouTube vlogger, was sentenced to prison for abusing and starving her six children. In a February 2024 sentencing hearing, Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. She received a sentence of 4 to 30 years in Utah State Prison. The judge emphasized the "heinous" nature of the crimes and the profound, lasting damage inflicted. Her partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, received an identical sentence of 4-30 years for her role in the abuse. Both women are currently incarcerated and will be eligible for parole review only after serving a significant portion of their minimum sentence.
The legal proceedings provided a public forum for the children's trauma to be documented. Testimony detailed the systematic starvation, physical restraints, and emotional manipulation. The prosecution successfully argued that the abuse was aggravated due to the positions of trust both women held as mothers and counselors. The sentencing, while severe, can never fully quantify the harm done to Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve.
Where Are Ruby Franke's Kids Now? Current Situations and Statuses
Here is where Ruby Franke's kids and ex-husband Kevin Franke are now. The children's lives have been irrevocably altered, scattered into the protective custody of the state. Their current situations vary based on age, individual needs, and the outcomes of ongoing dependency court proceedings.
The Eldest Children: Shari and Chad
Her eldest kids, Shari and Chad, have spoken out about their mother's alleged abuse. Both teenagers at the time of the arrest, they have been placed in separate, stable foster homes or with other family members. They have been vocal in interviews and through their legal representatives, detailing the abuse they endured and their mother's manipulation. Shari, in particular, has given powerful statements about the starvation and the psychological games played by both Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt. Their advanced age and willingness to cooperate with authorities have placed them in a more independent footing within the child welfare system. They are reportedly receiving intensive therapy and are focused on rebuilding their lives, education, and sense of self apart from their mother's influence.
The Younger Children: Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve
While the rest of the children are still in foster care. Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve—all minors—are under the full guardianship of the Utah Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS). Their placements are confidential for their protection, but they are in licensed foster homes or specialized therapeutic settings designed to address their severe trauma, malnutrition, and developmental delays. Their journey is far more private. Given their younger ages at the time of removal (the youngest, Eve, was only 8), their recovery is a long-term process involving therapy, educational support, and the gradual building of secure attachments. The state's primary goal is permanency, which could eventually lead to adoption or long-term foster care placements if reunification with any biological parent (including their father, Kevin) is deemed unsafe or not in their best interest.
The Father: Kevin Franke
Kevin Franke, the children's father and Ruby's ex-husband, has been a vocal advocate for his children throughout the ordeal. He divorced Ruby in 2022, citing concerns about her behavior and the children's well-being, which she and Hildebrandt framed as "parental alienation." Since Ruby Franke's arrest, her kids are finally getting on with their lives, and Kevin is fighting for a more permanent role in that. He has publicly expressed his horror at the abuse and his determination to be a stable father figure. His current legal standing regarding custody is complex. While he is their biological father, the state's dependency case will determine if he can provide a safe, permanent home. He has undergone extensive evaluation and parenting classes, and his home has been inspected. His future relationship with his children will be determined by the court based on his demonstrated ability to protect them from the toxic influence of their mother and Jodi Hildebrandt.
The Long Road to Recovery: Challenges and Support
The trauma inflicted on Ruby Franke's children is profound and multi-generational. Learn about their current situation, their reactions to their mother's crimes, and their former life with Ruby and her partner Jodi Hildebrandt is to understand a landscape of deep psychological wounds.
- Physical Recovery: The children who suffered severe malnutrition require ongoing medical and nutritional monitoring to ensure proper growth and development. The 12-year-old boy who escaped needed immediate hospitalization.
- Therapeutic Needs: All six children require intensive, long-term trauma-informed therapy. This includes treatment for complex PTSD, anxiety, depression, and potential reactive attachment disorder. Therapists must help them process the betrayal by their primary caregiver and reconcile their memories of the "YouTube life" with the reality of abuse.
- Educational Support: Disruptions in schooling and potential cognitive delays from malnutrition necessitate individualized education plans (IEPs) and tutoring.
- Identity and Trust: A core challenge is rebuilding their sense of self and their ability to trust adults. The very person who was supposed to nurture them was their tormentor. Therapy will focus on forming healthy relationships and understanding that the abuse was never their fault.
- Sibling Bonds: The six children share an unparalleled bond forged in adversity. The child welfare system's priority is to keep siblings together whenever possible and safe, recognizing that their connection is a critical source of mutual support and healing.
Ruby Franke shocked the world after being arrested for abusing her six children, so where are her kids now? They are in a system designed to protect them, but that system is often overburdened. Their future stability depends on finding permanent, loving homes where their unique trauma is understood and addressed. The community of foster and adoptive parents willing to take on such a complex case is small, making their path to "normalcy" a challenging one.
The Unanswered Questions and Lingering Concerns
Here’s everything to know about where Ruby Franke's children are includes acknowledging the significant gaps in public information, deliberately maintained for the children's privacy and safety. Several critical questions remain:
- Permanent Placement: Will all six siblings be kept together? Given their ages and different needs, this is a significant challenge, but their shared trauma makes co-placements highly desirable.
- Father's Custody: Will Kevin Franke ultimately regain full custody? This will depend on the completion of his court-mandated requirements and a determination that he can shield the children from any future contact with their mother or Hildebrandt.
- Future Contact with Mother: The children will have no contact with Ruby Franke for the foreseeable future. As they age and receive therapy, they may have to make their own decisions about whether to have any form of contact, which would be a supervised and therapeutic process.
- Financial Future: The Franke family's YouTube earnings and assets are likely subject to civil forfeiture or lawsuits to compensate the children for their care. Their long-term financial security will be tied to these legal proceedings and state support.
Conclusion: Beyond the Headlines
The saga of Ruby Franke kids is a grim lesson in the dangers of blind trust in social media personas. It exposes how platforms can be used to weaponize perception, allowing abusers to hide in plain sight behind a veneer of familial bliss. The children—Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve—are not just case studies or viral headlines. They are survivors of a profound betrayal, now navigating a childhood reshaped by unimaginable cruelty.
Since Ruby Franke's arrest, her kids are finally getting on with their lives, but "getting on" is not the same as healing. Their progress is measured in small victories: a gained pound, a night of uninterrupted sleep, a moment of genuine laughter, a trusting look at a new adult. Their story underscores the critical importance of mandated reporting, the need for skepticism when online perfection seems too good to be true, and the lifelong commitment required to heal severe child abuse.
As the legal system finalizes punishments and the child welfare system works toward permanency, the focus must remain on the silent, steady recovery of these six young people. Their future is not defined by the actions of Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, but by their own resilience and the compassionate, consistent care they receive now. The world watched their life unfold online; now, the most important chapter—their private journey toward safety and wholeness—must be allowed to happen away from the camera's gaze, in the quiet dignity of healing.
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Here's Where Convicted Child Abuser Ruby Franke's Kids Are Now
Here's Where Convicted Child Abuser Ruby Franke's Kids Are Now
Where Are Ruby Franke’s Kids Now? About Her Children – Hollywood Life
