Children of Ruby Franke, a former family YouTuber with nearly 2.5 million subscribers, Chad and Shari Franke provided insight into the terrible childhood they endured at the hands of their mother. The social media influencer from Utah rose to stardom by documenting her life with her spouse and kids on her YouTube channel, 8 Passengers.
Reality, however, was anything but wholesome, as Ruby subjected her children to a number of severe punishments, from being told they were demon-possessed to making them perform heavy labor in the blazing sun. Their testimonies are featured in Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, a three-part documentary series that debuted on Hulu on Thursday.
Ruby’s estranged family, including her soon-to-be ex-husband Kevin, their oldest daughter Shari, 21, and their son Chad, 20, provide testimonials in the series. The two brothers described a violent and fearful family in the first episode, which exposed the brutal realities of life behind the camera. “I did always feel bad when he got in trouble,” Shari recalled, recalling seeing her younger brother endure cruel punishments. “He’d get a bloody nose and I’d bring him toilet paper and didn’t really know what to do,” she added. She further disclosed that he had suffered such severe injuries that she had to assist him in wiping the blood off the walls.
Speaking about his own years-long experience, Chad disclosed that his mother frequently reprimanded him for not paying attention to adults. He described how she would “blow up off camera,” utilizing physical force to establish authority. She would remove the belt, slap, whip, and whip my butt. “Whack me, pull down my pants,” he said.
Ruby gave her son serious and recurring sunburns by making him perform long, physically demanding jobs outside in the summer heat without shoes or enough water. While the rest of the family ate more flavorful meals, he was also refused good meals and was only served plain food. Her four young children were placed in the care of child protective services following her arrest in August 2023, following which the abuse persisted.
Kevin Franke, her husband, stated to People that he is prepared for a divorce and is attempting to come to an agreement. Last year, Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, her business partner, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and were given jail sentences of up to 30 years. According to court records, they severely punished Ruby’s two youngest children, using the excuses that they were “evil” and “possessed by demons” to justify the torture. In a statement bolstering her guilty plea after her arrest in 2023, Ruby acknowledged a slew of horrifying deeds, characterizing them as “acts of love.”