The BBC true crime documentary The Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke aired on Thursday, August 6, on BBC Two, investigating the life and crimes of former family vlogger Ruby Franke.
The three-part special speaks to those who knew the 44-year-old best, with the final episode delving into a truth that “proves far worse than anyone imagined”.
Who is Ruby Franke?
Ruby Franke is an American former family vlogger who ran the controversial YouTube channel 8 Passengers. She started the channel in 2015 with her then-husband Kevin, documenting their lives with their six children. The channel attracted almost three million subscribers.
While popular, 8 Passengers drew significant online criticism for promoting strict parenting rules and harsh disciplinary tactics. When the channel began to decline and was eventually suspended, Franke teamed up with mental health counsellor Jodi Hildebrandt.
Together, they launched their joint Instagram profile and podcast Moms of Truth, which similarly discussed extreme parenting and the idea that children who didn’t follow their rules were possessed or acting under dark influences. Franke and Hildebrandt were also business partners who ran an online life-coaching service named ConneXions.
Arrest and sentencing
In August 2023, Franke was arrested after her 12-year-old son escaped a home in Utah, now known to be Hildebrandt’s, and asked a neighbour for help. Police discovered that her two youngest children were extremely malnourished, with physical injuries and bondage wounds.
Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and was sentenced to four prison terms of one to 15 years each, to run consecutively. This means she will serve a total prison sentence of four to 30 years, the maximum penalty under Utah law. Hildebrandt also received this sentence for her involvement in the abuse.
The Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
