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USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
New docuseries explores Ruby Franke's 'twisted dynamic' with Jodi Hildebrandt: See trailer
Viewers will learn more about the "twisted dynamic" between infamous mommy vlogger Ruby Franke and business partner Jodi Hildebrandt in a new docuseries from Investigation Discovery. "Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence," set to premiere in early September, combines exclusive interviews, commentary, as well as extensive archival and police footage to offer "unprecedented insight" into Hildebrandt's rise to power within the Mormon community through her life improvement program ConneXions and how it led her to Franke. The show, specifically, will chronicle the women's "doomed partnership" and the "dangerous, disturbing results of unchecked influence to reveal the physical and psychological impact of their abusive actions." Franke, who ran a popular YouTube channel called "8 Passengers" with her family, and Hildebrandt, Franke's counselor-turned-business partner, were arrested and convicted of child abuse after two of Franke's six children were found abused and malnourished. "The docuseries charts the magnetic connection between the two and how the melding of Franke's strict family values with Hildebrandt's controversial beliefs created a microcosm of control, manipulation, and brutality that led to the devastating emotional and physical abuse of the Franke children," Investigation Discovery said in a news release. Here's what we know about "Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence," including how to watch it. Who is Ruby Franke? And what did she do? Ruby Franke, 43, is a former mommy vlogger who lived in Springville, Utah, with her husband Kevin and their six children. The couple ran a popular and now-defunct YouTube channel called "8 Passengers," which showed snippets of the family's daily life online to an audience of millions beginning in early 2015. Franke later became the subject of widespread criticism online for her parenting choices, particularly her discipline methods that some considered borderline abusive. The pushback intensified when Franke co-founded ConneXions with Hildebrandt, a family counselor turned business partner. Many found that the "parenting style" the pair promoted was extreme and harsh. The frequent inclusion of what has been called homophobic, racist and transphobic comments did not help their popularity. In one often-referenced example, Franke told viewers that children do not deserve, and should not receive, unconditional love. Both women were arrested and initially charged with six counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse in September 2023 after two of Franke's six children were found abused and malnourished, the office of Eric Clarke, the Washington County Attorney in St. Georiga, Utah, announced at the time. They both pleaded guilty in December 2023 to four of the six counts as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, USA TODAY previously reported. Franke and Hildebrandt were sentenced to prison time ranging from four to 60 years in February 2024 and are currently serving their respective sentences. What will be in 'Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence'? The four-part docuseries "underscores Hildebrandt's manipulative and dangerous tendencies and how when combined with Franke's strict family values, they created an environment rife with manipulation, control, and abuse," according to Investigation Discovery. "Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence" does feature "extensive interviews with former clients." Jessi Hildebrandt, Hildebrandt's niece, and others, including local journalists as well as current and former members of the Mormon faith, will also offer "additional and exclusive insight" throughout the docuseries, the TV network said. Jason Sarlanis, president of Investigation Discovery, said in a statement, "The disturbing alliance between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt has captivated and horrified the public, and this docuseries peels back the layers of that relationship through exclusive interviews with family members, former clients, and experts to explore the broader implications of family vlogging and the devastating impact of family abuse." Watch 'Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence' trailer How to watch 'Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence' The four-part Investigation Discovery docuseries will premiere over two nights, Sept. 1 and Sept. 2, at 9 p.m. ET/midnight PT. Episodes will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Cosmopolitan
05-06-2025
- Cosmopolitan
Who is Ruby Franke? The true story of the abusive parenting influencer covered in harrowing Disney+ series
She was once a hugely popular parenting influencer who attracted over two million followers and numerous brand details. However, Ruby Franke's fame merely disguised abuse against her own children that has since been described as "horrific and inhumane". The 42-year-old gained a significant online following fronting her '8 Passengers' YouTube channel, where she shared parenting tips and general day-to-day life with her husband, Kevin, and their six children. The channel, launched in 2015, gained 2.3 million followers before it was shut down in 2023. Alongside business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, the pair admitted to four counts of aggravated child abuse. Franke was sentenced to four consecutive prison terms of 1 to 15 years. Now, a documentary on Disney+ details the horrors that the family were subjected to. The Utah native gained a significant following as a YouTuber, with 8 Passengers discussing life with her six children. Ruby and husband Kevin also discussed their faith as Mormons, and home-schooling. The channel courted controversy; Ruby was criticised by viewers after one video saw Ruby's eldest son reveal he slept on a beanbag for seven months as 'punishment' for teasing his brother. Ruby defended her actions at the time; in an interview with Insider, she claimed her son chose to sleep on a beanbag instead of an airbed. Her style of discipline came under further criticism after one video saw her threaten to throw away her children's toys, and for not giving them any privacy or personal space. The 8 Passengers channel has since been deleted and in a statement issued to TIME magazine, a spokesperson for YouTube wrote: 'We can confirm that we have terminated two channels linked to Ruby Franke in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines. Additionally, Ruby Franke will no longer be able to use, own, or create any other YouTube channels, in accordance with the repeat infringer policy in our Terms of Service.' In August 2023, Ruby's 12-year-old son was staying with Ruby and her business partner, Jodi Hilderbrant. He managed to escape out a window and ran to a neighbour's house, before asking them to call the police. His appearance was described as thin, and was reportedly covered in wounds. He also had duct tape around his legs and wrists. He reportedly told officers that his wounds had been dressed with cayenne pepper. Ruby was arrested alongside Jodi, and both were charged with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse. In December, both pleaded guilty to four of the counts, with the plea deal accepted by prosecutors. Jodi was also charged alongside Ruby. The pair were friends and business partners, and had met at church (they were both Mormons). Having initially trained as a mental health counsellor, the 55-year-old's focus shifted onto her life-coaching programme ConneXions. After counselling the Frankes, who were having marital problems, Ruby started working alongside Jodi on an Instagram post called Moms of Truth. Jodi even briefly lived with the Frankes until early 2022. After that time, Ruby and her two youngest children moved to Jodi's Utah home. Jodi agreed to plead guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in December 2023. After the plea deal, details emerged around the extent of Ruby's abusive behaviour towards her two youngest children. Ruby admitted assaulting her son by forcing him into hours of physical tasks and outdoor work between May and August without sufficient drinking water. The boy also suffered serious sunburns that resulted in blisters. He was forcibly isolated from others, given meagre food, and was not allowed access to books, games or electronics. After he tried to escape in June, he was regularly bound – on some occasions, even in handcuffs. Ruby also admitted to kicking her son while wearing boots, holding his head under water and smothering his mouth and nose with her hands Her youngest daughter was forced to work outside, run barefoot, and go without food and water. Ruby reportedly told her children that they were 'evil' and the punishments 'were necessary for them to be obedient and repent'. In Utah, aggravated child abuse is defined as an act that "inflicts upon a child serious physical injury" or "causes or permits another to inflict serious physical injury upon a child"– with each count carrying a sentence of up to 15 years. None of Ruby's children attended the sentencing, but she did address them with an emotional plea. "I'll never stop crying for hurting your tender souls," she said. "My willingness to sacrifice all for you was masterfully manipulated into something very ugly. I took from you all that was soft and safe and good. "For the past four years, I've chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion. My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me." Ruby added after sentencing: "It is important to me to demonstrate my remorse and regret without blame. I take full accountability for my choices, and it is my preference that I serve a prison sentence." Ruby is thought to now be pursuing a degree while serving her sentence at the Utah State Correctional Facility. Her first parole hearing will take place in December 2026. Meanwhile, Jodi said at her hearing: "One of the reasons I did not go to trial is because I did not want [the children] to emotionally relive the experience which would have been detrimental to them. My hope and prayer is that they will heal and move forward to have beautiful lives." Kevin, who filed for divorce from Ruby in December, has since distanced himself from his ex-wife. A lawyer for Kevin said the couple had been living separately for 13 months and Kevin Franke was "distraught" after hearing about the alleged abuse in an interview with Good Morning America. "No one's ever made any allegations that he's ever physically abused those kids, or anyone else," the attorney told the programme. The four younger siblings, aged between 11 and 17, were in care in 2014 according to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune. Kevin was reportedly granted custody of his children in March 2025, per People. Ruby's older daughter, Shari, has since spoken out about what life was like. The 22-year-old previously cut ties with her family in 2022. Upon news of Ruby's conviction, Shari wrote and then deleted an Instagram post which read "finally". In another post, she wrote: "Me and my family are so glad justice is being served." In January 2025, Shari released a book providing insight to life with Ruby. In The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom, Shari recalls that Ruby was always tough on her and her siblings. "Anything less than unbridled enthusiasm would trigger Ruby into a rage," Shari writes, in an excerpt shown to The Guardian. "One hint of displeasure on my face, and whack! … But no matter how much I twisted and turned, no matter how much I achieved or accomplished, it would never be enough. There would always be some new hoop to jump through, some new standard to meet." Shari is now also campaigning against family vlogging and the potential impact on children. "I've witnessed the damage of what happens when your life is put online," Shari told People. "There's no ethical way to do it." Chad, 20, has also vocally criticised his mother. A report from Page Six suggested he was seen leaving the courtroom smiling after Ruby was sentenced. In August last year, he took to Snapchat, writing: "Happy Prisonversary" and sharing a picture of his mother before she was arrested. The docuseries Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is available to watch now on Disney +. Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shari Franke Confronts Her Past and Says 'Family Vlogging Ruined My Innocence'
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." As Ruby Franke spiraled from popular parenting YouTuber to convicted child abuser, her relationship with her eldest daughter, Shari Franke, deteriorated. Shari was one of the primary stars of the family's now-defunct YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, and some videos captured moments that many teens (and adults, for that matter) would feel mortified to have broadcast online. One memorable example was when Ruby accidentally removed half of Shari's left eyebrow while waxing her daughter's brows. In another, Ruby shared footage of Shari bra shopping. Their contrasting views on vlogging and Ruby's increasingly erratic behavior eventually ruptured the mother-daughter relationship so much that they stopped speaking after Shari went to college in 2021. Now 23, the former child influencer has been outspoken in condemning Ruby's actions and in working to protect other children from experiencing the same pressures and consequences she once faced. 'Family vlogging ruined my innocence long before Ruby committed a crime,' Shari told a Utah Senate committee in October 2024. 'I promise you that my experiences are not unique and are happening to child influencers all over Utah and the country.' At the hearing, she also told lawmakers she lost friends because of the '24/7' work required to create content for the channel and feels regretful that her best and worst moments in childhood were made public online.$20.08 at Shari further detailed her experiences in the recent Hulu docuseries Devil in the Family: The Ruby Franke Story and her best-selling memoir, The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom. She says she and her five younger siblings were treated as de facto employees of the family business. Partly thanks to Shari's testimony, Utah created a law requiring online creators who make more than $150,000 a year from content featuring children to set aside 15 percent of those earnings into a trust fund that the kids can access after turning 18. The law also creates a pathway for children to have posts and videos they're in removed. Shari has no intention of broadcasting her own family's lives on the internet, though. In a December 2024 Instagram post, she announced her engagement and new boundaries about detailing her personal life online. 'For me, this is the end of me sharing my private life... I'm not going to talk about my wedding, future husband, or future kids. I'll continue to advocate for kids who didn't have a voice (so you'll still be seeing me, don't worry) but this is closure for me. I'm moving on with my life, and that's true freedom and joy ❤️.' You Might Also Like Nicole Richie's Surprising Adoption Story The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother Queen Camilla's Life in Photos
Buzz Feed
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Ed Sheeran's Right – Performative Parenting Isn't Worth Your Kid's Digital Privacy
Ed Sheeran is having a bit of a moment right now. He recently played a free gig in King's Cross after going viral for calling his resurgence a 'recession indicator'; and yesterday, hit podcast Call Her Daddy aired their Ed-pisode too. During his appearance, Ed mentioned his wife (Cherry Seaborn) and their two little girls (Lyra Antarctica and Jupiter). That left some commenters surprised, with one TikToker writing: 'ED SHEERAN IS A FATHER??? How long did I sleep?'. Ed Sheeran took umbrage against a comment which read 'He doesn't spend enough time with his family, he literally could go do/take his children anywhere but chooses to be away from them.' 'Orrr I just don't post them on social media...' the singer replied. Another X post showed what seemed to be a screenshot of the pop star's comment, which read: 'I don't post them on social media because they deserve to be in control of their privacy. 'Just because you don't see something on the internet doesn't mean it doesn't exist.' CLOCK THEM ED — tasha louise 💗 (@eds_afterglow) April 9, 2025 Experts back him up. In 2018, the UK Children's Commissioner released a report called Who Knows What About Me? which found that by the time most kids turned 13, their parents had posted roughly 1300 photos and videos of them online. The report reads: 'We need to stop and think about what this means for children's lives now and how it may impact on their future lives as adults. 'We simply do not know what the consequences of all this information about our children will be. In the light of this uncertainty, should we be happy to continue forever collecting and sharing children's data?' A 2022 paper found that 'sharenting', or posting pictures and other content of your children online, can harm their safety, privacy, and even lead some parents to make an unfair profit off their children in an unregulated market. Disney+ Recent Disney + Show Devil In The Family: The Fall Of Ruby Franke highlighted perhaps the most extreme and horrific case of child abuse involving 'sharenting.' Ruby Franke, who was sentenced for child abuse, created the hugely successful family advice vlog 8 Passengers. A 2023 paper found that 'sharenting syndrome' – an obsession with and even addiction to posting your children online – 'could result in neglect and abuse, and it could lead to children's images being used on inappropriate sites.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ed Sheeran's Right – Performative Parenting Isn't Worth Your Kid's Digital Privacy
Ed Sheeran is having a bit of a moment right now. He recently played a free gig in King's Cross after going viral for calling his resurgence a 'recession indicator'; and yesterday, hit podcast Call Her Daddy aired their Ed-pisode too. During his appearance, Ed mentioned his wife (Cherry Seaborn) and their two little girls (Lyra Antarctica and Jupiter). That left some commenters surprised, with one TikToker writing: 'ED SHEERAN IS A FATHER??? How long did I sleep?'. Ed Sheeran took umbrage against a comment which read 'He doesn't spend enough time with his family, he literally could go do/take his children anywhere but chooses to be away from them.' 'Orrr I just don't post them on social media...' the singer replied. Another X post showed what seemed to be a screenshot of the pop star's comment, which read: 'I don't post them on social media because they deserve to be in control of their privacy. 'Just because you don't see something on the internet doesn't mean it doesn't exist.' CLOCK THEM ED — tasha louise 💗 (@eds_afterglow) April 9, 2025 Experts back him up. In 2018, the UK Children's Commissioner released a report called Who Knows About Me? which found that by the time most kids turned 13, their parents had posted roughly 1300 photos and videos of them online. The report reads: 'We need to stop and think about what this means for children's lives now and how it may impact on their future lives as adults. 'We simply do not know what the consequences of all this information about our children will be. In the light of this uncertainty, should we be happy to continue forever collecting and sharing children's data?' A 2022 paper found that 'sharenting', or posting pictures and other content of your children online, can harm their safety, privacy, and even lead some parents to make an unfair profit off their children in an unregulated market. Recent Disney+ Show Devil In The Family: The Fall Of Ruby Franke highlighted perhaps the most extreme and horrific case of child abuse aided in part by their online presence. Ruby Franke, who was sentenced for child abuse, created the hugely successful family advice vlog 8 Passengers. A 2023 paper found that those with sharenting syndrome – an obsession with and even addiction to posting your children online – 'could result in neglect and abuse, and it could lead to children's images being used on inappropriate sites.' And considering Ed Sheeran's huge platform, we reckon hid children will be glad he refused to share their image online (even if some commenters on TikTok are not). 'Awkward': Ed Sheeran Reveals How Elton John Is Still Getting His Name Wrong After 15 Years Ed Sheeran Had A Hilarious Reaction To Viral Clip Of Indian Police Shutting Down His Busking Performance Ed Sheeran Shuts Down 'Divisive' Reports He Attended JK Rowling's New Year's Eve Party
