A harrowing account of abuse and cruelty has emerged in the recent revelation of a journal left by convicted YouTuber Ruby Franke. The journal contained disturbing details of the mistreatment of her children, whom she described as ‘demonic.’ Franke, a mother of six and well-known Mormon family vlogger, chronicled instances of abuse towards her youngest children, whom she believed were possessed and in need of repentance. The shocking contents of the journal were unveiled in Hulu’s new docuseries ‘Devil In The Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke,’ where a police investigator read out entries detailing acts of violence, including shaving heads, dousing with water, and forcing their heads into toilets.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/WhereIsRubyFrankeMAIN-1887539064474c0d92a5f93292cea660.jpg)
Before her guilty plea in late 2023, Franke’s journal shed light on the extreme measures she took in the name of discipline and punishment. One particularly disturbing entry described instructing her son to emulate a snake and insisting that good works must be painful, asserting her power over him. The revelations of the journal’s contents have sent shockwaves through the community, shedding light on the dark reality behind the online persona of the popular YouTube family.
Following Franke’s admission of guilt to four counts of aggravated child abuse, questions arose about the whereabouts of both her and her former business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. The case, which has inspired public outrage and disbelief, unfolded with the arrest of Franke in August 2023 after her 12-year-old son managed to escape their home and seek help from a neighbour. His dire condition, marked by malnourishment and visible wounds, prompted the neighbour to contact the authorities, leading to the discovery of further abuse towards Franke’s 9-year-old daughter.
Franke and her husband, Kevin, rose to fame through their YouTube channel ‘8Passengers,’ which showcased their parenting style and garnered a significant following. However, the channel was ultimately shut down by YouTube in the wake of Franke’s arrest, signalling the end of their online presence. The couple’s public image, once seen as a model of family values, was shattered by the revelation of the abuse and neglect inflicted upon their children.
The involvement of Jodi Hildebrandt, a former sex therapist and founder of a religious social media network, exacerbated the situation, leading to escalated abuse within the family. Both women pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and received matching sentences of four to 30 years in prison. The therapist featured in the docuseries highlighted Hildebrandt’s manipulative tactics, preying on vulnerabilities and exacerbating anxieties within the Mormon community.
In a moment of remorse during her sentencing, Franke expressed deep regret and tearfully apologised to her children for the pain inflicted upon them. The emotional apology served as a stark contrast to the cruel acts detailed in her journal, underscoring the complex nature of the case. As the documentary ‘Devil In The Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke’ continues to spark discussions and raise awareness of the hidden realities of domestic abuse, the repercussions of Franke and Hildebrandt’s actions continue to reverberate within their community and beyond.