On the evening of August 30, 2023, #momlife YouTuber Ruby Franke was taken into custody by Washington County law enforcement on suspicion of aggravated child abuse. As reported by NBC News and elsewhere, the arrest was made after a neighbor reported that one of Franke’s children had broken out of the family home by climbing out of a window, then approached the neighbor and asked for food and water. It was further reported that the child had duct tape wrapped around their wrists and ankles at the time, and was treated for malnourishment and further injuries when they were admitted to the hospital. A second child found in the house was described as having suffered similar mistreatment. Even months after the dissolution of her 2 million-plus subscriber-strong YouTube channel, it’s a despicable and nauseating end to the career of a well-known internet personality.
“Yeah yeah,” you might say. “But is she available?”
Bad news, fellas: She’s taken. At least that was the state of things when Franke’s 8 Passengers channel went dark earlier this year. Franke ran the channel with her husband, Kevin Franke, who Insider reports was an associate professor at Utah’s Brigham Young University until severing ties a few months ago. Kevin has been absent from Franke’s more recent YouTube venture, ConneXions, which she ran with intermittently-licensed therapist and fellow arrestee Jodi Hildebrandt starting in the summer of 2022. Rumors of Kevin’s arrest have made the rounds on the internet, but there’s been no official verification so far.
The Frankes’ approach to parenting has been a cause for concern for viewers for some time, even leading to visits from Child Protective Services. Watchers have cited the couple’s willingness to withhold meals, as well as basic necessities like beds. Meanwhile, their estranged daughter, Shari, responded to her mother’s arrest with an Instagram story: The word “Finally” over a picture of a police car.
