Ruby Franke, once celebrated for her wholesome family lifestyle on YouTube, has found herself at the center of one of the most shocking child abuse cases showcased through the new Hulu docuseries, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke. This series explores the unraveling of the Franke family, highlighting the distressing reality behind the seemingly perfect facade presented on their popular channel, "8 Passengers." With over two million subscribers, Ruby Franke’s image as the ideal Mormon mother concealed dark secrets about her parenting methods.
Constructed from over a thousand hours of never-before-seen footage, the docuseries features interviews with Ruby’s estranged husband, Kevin Franke, and their eldest children, Shari and Chad Franke. These three narrate their experiences living with Ruby and the invasive influence of therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, who lost her counseling license amid allegations of misconduct. This behind-the-scenes account explains how the Franke family fell from grace and encountered allegations of severe child abuse.
Ruby gained prominence on the reality-YouTube scene starting as early as 2015, when she began sharing her experiences as a mother of six. Her family engaged viewers with snippets of their daily lives, but as the channel grew, so did public scrutiny of Ruby and Kevin’s parenting techniques. Concerns about their disciplinary practices were raised repeatedly, exacerbated when, on camera, her then-15-year-old son Chad disclosed he had been sleeping on a beanbag chair for punishment for seven months. Other clips depicted Ruby threatening to withhold meals and displaying alarming disciplinary antics.
Despite reports to Child Protective Services, without clear evidence, the authorities initially found no grounds for action. Ruby claimed the officers admired her parenting style, asking for tips before exiting her home. Nonetheless, cracks began to show when the family sought counseling from Jodi Hildebrandt, who soon gained Ruby’s trust to the detriment of Kevin’s involvement. Jodi’s influence permeated the family dynamics, edging out Kevin, who felt increasingly alienated.
While Ruby became closer to Hildebrandt, Kevin's disconnection grew, leading him to attend men’s therapy groups, advocating for Ruby’s methods. “I was going to support her over all my children, period,” he remarked, reflecting his disorientation and fear over losing his marriage. During this turbulent period, Shari and Chad began feeling suffocated under their mother’s insistence on constant video content creation, expressing discomfort with the pressure and public scrutiny.
Compounding their worries, Shari contacted protective services and law enforcement, fearing for the conditions of her younger siblings. The situation escalated horrifically when, on August 2023, Ruby's 12-year-old son escaped by climbing out of the window and alerted neighbors to his plight. Describing his situation, he described being “emaciated” and “tied up,” leading authorities to discover the disturbing extent of abuse inflicted both by Ruby and Hildebrandt.
Court documents would later reveal harrowing details of the conditions the children endured. The youngest Franke children were allegedly bound, denied food and water, and subjected to severe physical exertion as punishment—activities led under the pretense of helping to rid them of supposed demons—a belief perpetuated by both Ruby and Jodi. Their arrests sent shockwaves through the community, igniting outrage not only at their actions but at the systemic failures allowing this to go unchecked.
Franke and Hildebrandt both faced charges of aggravated child abuse, pleading guilty and receiving sentences of up to 30 years. Ruby expressed remorse during her proceedings, divulging tears as she acknowledged, “I took from you all it was soft and safe and good,” toward her children. Kevin Franke, who later filed for divorce following Ruby’s arrest, opened up about the pain of his family’s collapse, acknowledging his struggle with guilt over the years of silence, which he felt was enforced by Ruby.
The toll of this saga has left deep scars, not only on the children but also on the family as they navigate the aftermath of their shared experiences. Kevin emphasized his love for Ruby remains, but walks away with the knowledge necessary for his children’s safety. “I will never stop crying for hurting your tender souls. You’re so precious to me. I’m sorry,” Ruby expressed through the tears, encapsulating the contradictory emotions surrounding the case.
Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke aims to provide answers where assumptions abound: examining how perceived family happiness can hide ugly realities and lead to devastating consequences. The series implores viewers to reconcile the public persona created through social media with the truths often concealed from view. It raises stark questions about the boundaries of family, privacy, and accountability.
Now available for streaming, the docuseries serves as both cautionary tale and compelling narrative, reminding audiences to investigate the signs when family life appears too perfect from the outside. The chilling reality remains: even the most endearing family stories can spiral dramatically awry, as witnessed through the collapse of the Franke family.