Ruby Franke once had it all—a massive online following, a seemingly picture-perfect family, and a lucrative career built on sharing every detail of her home life. But behind the polished vlogs of her six children—Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve—was a reality far darker than anyone could have imagined. Today, Ruby Franke is serving a prison sentence of up to 30 years for aggravated child abuse, and her kids have been left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
The Franke family rose to fame through their YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, which launched in 2015 and quickly amassed over 2.5 million subscribers. With Ruby and her husband, Kevin, at the helm, the channel chronicled their lives in Springville, Utah. It showcased everything from homeschooling and family vacations to strict parenting techniques that, over time, would raise red flags among their audience.
By 2020, Ruby’s harsh disciplinary methods—like denying meals to her children as punishment and making her son Chad sleep on a beanbag for seven months—sparked widespread outrage. But it wasn’t until her involvement with self-proclaimed therapist Jodi Hildebrandt that things took an even darker turn.
Ruby Franke’s Six Children: Where Are They Now?
By 2022, Ruby had cut ties with Kevin under Hildebrandt’s guidance and moved into her home in Ivins, Utah, leaving some of her children alone for weeks at a time. Despite multiple calls to child protective services and the police, it wasn’t until August 30, 2023, that authorities intervened—after 12-year-old Russell escaped from Hildebrandt’s house and begged a neighbor for help. His condition was horrifying: malnourished, covered in open wounds, and restrained with duct tape. His 10-year-old sister Eve was later found in a similar state inside the home. Within hours, both Ruby and Hildebrandt were arrested and charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse.
During court proceedings, harrowing details emerged. Ruby Franke’s own journals revealed she subjected her kids to starvation, intense manual labor, and psychological torment. She allegedly forced Russell’s head underwater, made Eve run barefoot on rocky roads, and bound them with ropes and chains. Even after pleading guilty, Ruby tried to shift the blame onto Hildebrandt, portraying herself as a manipulated victim.
However, the evidence—including disturbing footage and testimonies from her own children—painted a different picture. In December 2023, she pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and, in February 2024, was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.
For the Franke children, the aftermath has been a whirlwind of healing, legal battles, and public scrutiny. Shari, the eldest, had been estranged from her mother for years before the arrest and had long suspected something was wrong. She was the first to publicly react to Ruby Franke’s downfall, posting “Finally” on Instagram the day after the arrest.
A 21-year-old Brigham Young University student, Shari has since emerged as an outspoken advocate against family vlogging. She testified before Utah lawmakers in October 2024, condemning the industry for exploiting children and arguing that her childhood was stolen by 8 Passengers. She also published a book, The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, detailing her experiences and the moment her mother disowned her for calling child protective services.
Chad, now 20, has taken a different approach. Once the most popular child on 8 Passengers, he has distanced himself from the online world, focusing on personal growth and a future in real estate. In July 2024, he shared his plans to pursue real estate school. While he remains relatively private, his occasional social media posts—like his sarcastic “Happy Prisonversary” message marking the anniversary of Ruby Franke’s arrest—show he is still processing the trauma in his own way.
The younger four siblings—Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve—have stayed largely out of the public eye. After being removed from their mother’s custody, they were placed under state care while their father, Kevin, pursued guardianship. Court documents from January 2024 revealed that Russell and Eve had undergone extensive medical care and psychological treatment following their horrific ordeal.
Kevin, who had separated from Ruby in 2022, has fought to rebuild his relationship with his children while also advocating for child welfare reform. In a February 2025 interview, he admitted that healing was an ongoing process but that life was finally moving toward a “comfortable normal.”
Despite their mother’s imprisonment, the Franke children’s past continues to haunt them. In October 2024, Lifetime released Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story, a dramatized version of their family’s downfall. Shari publicly condemned the film, calling it exploitative and urging people not to watch it.
Meanwhile, Hulu’s 2025 docuseries Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke offered a deeper dive into their experiences, featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews with Shari, Chad, and Kevin. The documentary revealed how Ruby treated her kids as “employees,” how she weaponized religion to justify abuse, and how Kevin ignored warning signs for years. Even with Ruby behind bars, the children continue to grapple with the scars of their upbringing.
