Written by Nada Fatima
American Ruby Franke, YouTuber and parenting influencer, The host of the popular channel “8 Passengers'' was found guilty of four counts of child abuse on February 20 and sentenced to one to 15 years in prison.
Ruby and therapist Jody Hildebrandt were arrested after her son ran away from their home and alerted neighbors to his condition. Ruby and Hildebrand are also business partners.
according to BBCRuby and her husband Kevin Franke began their journey as family vloggers in 2015. They started a YouTube channel, “8 Passengers,'' which gained around 2.5 million subscribers by June 2020. They were eventually warned after concerns were raised about the nature of their parenting practices. According to YouTube, it has been removed. people.
Ruby and Kevin separated 13 months before his arrest.in a TV program interview Good morning, America“No one is alleging that he physically abused these children or anyone else,'' Kevin's attorney, Randy Kester, said in a statement. She also said Kevin was a “very kind person” and was unaware that his children were being abused.
Who is Ruby Franke?
Ruby and Kevin shared their family life raising six children in Springville, Utah through their “8 Passengers” vlog. The family belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were devout members.
As viewer interest grew, so did the scrutiny of their parenting practices. Viewers were initially drawn to the family's seemingly idyllic life, but later began to express concerns about the disciplinary methods they were employing.
Ruby said in a video blog that her approach to parenting is “deeply rooted in my faith, values and personal beliefs.” She also said that the core of her own parenting philosophy is to instill discipline, responsibility, and moral values in her children.
Incidents such as depriving children of their beds for long periods of time or withholding food as punishment have sparked heated debate in online parenting communities, according to various media reports.
However, Ruby and Kevin continued to defend their parenting decisions and said they were committed to being authentic in the video.
Ruby also sought to expand her online reach by connecting with fans on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
What are the abuse allegations against Ruby Franke?
Allegations against Ruby surfaced in August 2023, when her 12-year-old son ran away from home and sought help from a neighbor, revealing abuse and neglect at home.
according to BBC, Franke's son asked neighbors for help, but he was in a weakened state. Later, allegations of her malnutrition, physical injuries and psychological trauma were also revealed against Ruby, and she was arrested.
In December 2023, Ruby pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse.
Who is Jody Hildebrandt?
In 2022, Ruby began collaborating with therapist Jodi Hildebrandt on a parenting advice podcast called “ConneXions.”
The two will continue to leverage their combined social media presence under the banner of “True Moms.”
