Warning: The following article mentions child abuse. Please read with caution.
Ruby Franke made her name as a family vlogger dispensing parenting advice on her 8 Passengers YouTube channel. In a shocking true crime case, reports emerged in mid-Dec. 2023 that Franke would plead guilty to child abuse charges in a plea deal — but what about Ruby’s husband?
Earlier in 2023, Ruby was arrested when two of her six children with Kevin Franke were found inside the home of her online business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. The children were reportedly underfed and showed signs of physical abuse. They had been bound by duct tape, and once in police custody, the kids were transported to a Utah hospital near where Hildebrandt lived, NBC News reported.
In her online presence, Ruby greeted controversy professing a strict style of parenting, which in the past included not bringing her children food at school when they forgot their lunch and throwing away the children’s favorite items, among other examples.
As well as the 8 Passengers YouTube channel, taken down at the time of her arrest, Ruby and Hildebrand were involved in Hildebrand’s family counseling service, ConneXions.
Ruby and Kevin Franke are divorcing
In Nov. 2023, NBC News reported that Kevin Franke, Ruby Franke’s husband, had filed for divorce from the controversial mom-influencer. Reportedly, Kevin and Ruby were separated for more than a year before Kevin filed his petition, and the separation first came about at the urging of Ruby and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt.
In the past, Kevin seemed to support Ruby’s parenting advice. Before it was taken down, Kevin appeared frequently in the Franke family content. At its peak, their YouTube channel had more than 2 million subscribers. Kevin has denied any involvement in the alleged abuse.
Referring to the marital problems between Kevin and Ruby, Kevin’s attorney, Randy Kester, said his client wanted to “work through concerns as a family. There was never any formal, written decree of separate maintenance or separation agreement. The separation was under terms proscribed by Ruby and Jodi Hildebrandt” (via NBC News).
Kevin accused his daughter of burglary
Before news broke that Kevin Franke had filed for divorce from Ruby, People reported that he accused the couple’s estranged eldest daughter, Shari Franke, of burglary at his Utah home. However, police were there to serve a search warrant instead.
In the past, Shari had reportedly requested a child welfare check on the Franke family home, and she was outspoken about the child abuse allegations against her mother. When news broke Ruby was arrested, Shari posted “Finally” on Instagram and added:
“Today has been a big day. Me and my family are so glad justice is being served. We’ve been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up” (via People).