Kevin Franke’s life took an unimaginable turn on August 30, 2023. That was the day he learned that his wife of over two decades, Ruby Franke, had been arrested alongside her business partner and self-proclaimed therapist, Jodi Hildebrandt. The charge? Aggravated child abuse.
Authorities had discovered two of Kevin’s youngest children in a horrifying state—malnourished, bruised, and visibly terrified. One of them, his 12-year-old son, had escaped from Hildebrandt’s house and run to a neighbor for help, leading to the eventual arrest of both women. The revelations that followed shocked not only Kevin but the millions who had once subscribed to their family’s YouTube channel, 8 Passengers.
Who Is Ruby Franke’s Husband, Kevin Franke? He Lost Access to His Children After He Was Cut Off From His Family
Kevin was never charged in connection with the abuse, but that didn’t stop people from asking: How could a father not know what was happening to his own children? As investigators probed deeper, it became clear that Kevin had been cut off from his family long before the abuse reached its worst. In July 2022, Ruby had told him to move out, a directive influenced by Hildebrandt’s “therapy” sessions.
At the time, Hildebrandt convinced both Ruby and Kevin that their marriage could only be saved if he distanced himself. Desperate to keep his family together, he complied. What he didn’t realize was that this was the beginning of his complete isolation. Over the following year, Ruby barely contacted him, and he had no direct access to their children. He was, as he later described it, trapped in psychological hell.
When Kevin showed up at the Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department the day after Ruby’s arrest, desperate to find his children, he was immediately questioned. Officers laid out the grim details of what had been done to his kids, and the shock on his face was evident. Body cam footage showed him reeling as police described the extent of the abuse. He had no idea. The police cleared him quickly, confirming that he had not lived with Ruby or the children for over a year and had no knowledge of the horrors taking place inside his former home.
In the aftermath, Kevin’s focus shifted entirely to his children. The four youngest had been placed in the custody of Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services, and Kevin launched a legal battle to bring them home. As of April 2024, however, they remained under state care. His lawyer, Randy Kester, emphasized that Kevin was doing everything in his power to rebuild trust and prove that he could provide a safe, loving home.
His two oldest children, Shari and Chad, were already adults, and their relationship with their father had begun to heal. Chad, in particular, was vocal about his support for Kevin, stating publicly that he had been manipulated just as much as his father had.
Kevin Franke’s Fight for Justice: Reforming a Broken System and Rebuilding His Life
Beyond the custody battle, Kevin turned his energy toward advocating for systemic change. In July 2024, he stood before Utah legislators, demanding reforms to child welfare laws. He argued that if authorities had acted sooner—back when concerned viewers and family members raised alarms about Ruby’s strict parenting—his children might have been spared years of suffering.
He pushed for laws that would allow child protective services to take temporary custody of children when credible red flags surfaced, even if parents resisted intervention. By October 2024, he was calling for an independent investigation into Utah’s DCFS, believing the system had utterly failed his family.
Meanwhile, Kevin filed a lawsuit against Jodi Hildebrandt in April 2024, accusing her of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. His goal? To ensure that any financial restitution Hildebrandt might owe would go directly to his children. He also took a firm stance against the life-coaching industry, particularly the unregulated, cult-like practices that had led Ruby down a dangerous path.
Hildebrandt, once a licensed therapist, had her license suspended in 2012 for violating patient confidentiality. Yet, she continued to operate under the guise of a life coach, wielding enormous influence over vulnerable clients like Ruby.
As for Ruby, she pleaded guilty in December 2023 to four counts of aggravated child abuse. In February 2024, she was sentenced to four consecutive terms of 1 to 15 years, meaning she could serve up to 30 years behind bars. During her sentencing, she admitted that she had been “brainwashed” by Hildebrandt and had lost sight of reality. Kevin, though still grappling with a mix of emotions, attended the hearing. When Ruby looked at him and said, “You are the love of my life,” he reportedly did not respond. Later, he admitted that while he still loved the woman he married, the Ruby he once knew no longer existed.
In early 2025, Hulu released the docuseries Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, giving Kevin, Chad, and Shari a platform to share their side of the story. The series revealed never-before-seen footage from their vlogging days, some of which showed the toxic dynamics playing out in real-time. Kevin hoped the series would serve as both a cautionary tale and a form of closure.
As of now, Ruby Franke’s estranged husband Kevin Franke is still fighting for full custody of his younger children. He has also started moving forward with his personal life, confirming in February 2025 that he was looking forward to dating again once his divorce from Ruby was finalized. In his words, life was “more normal than it’s been in years,” but the scars of the past would always remain. He and his kids were healing, slowly but surely. And for Kevin, that was the only thing that mattered.
