A new Netflix documentary has thrust a harrowing case of manipulation and abuse back into the spotlight. Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story details the crimes of a Utah-based family therapist whose actions, intertwined with a popular YouTube vlogger, led to multiple convictions for aggravated child abuse.
From Trusted Counsellor to Convicted Abuser
The film centres on the relationship between Jodi Hildebrandt, a licensed clinical mental health counsellor who ran the life-coaching business ConneXions, and Ruby Franke, a mother of six who documented her family life on the YouTube channel 8 Passengers. The two women met through their shared Mormon church community in Utah.
Hildebrandt, who held significant influence within the church, became deeply involved in Franke's family life. While Franke was already known for her controversial parenting advice online, Hildebrandt grew obsessed with 'correcting' the household. This toxic dynamic culminated in August 2023, when one of Franke's sons escaped from Hildebrandt's home.
Security footage showed the emaciated boy approaching a neighbour, pleading for food and water and asking to be taken to the police. Authorities reported he had open wounds and duct tape around his extremities. His younger sister was also found imprisoned in the home.
Legal Reckoning and Prison Sentences
Both women were swiftly arrested. In February 2024, Jodi Hildebrandt was found guilty on four counts of aggravated child abuse. She received four consecutive prison sentences of one to 15 years. Ruby Franke received an identical sentence.
Hildebrandt is currently imprisoned at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. Her first parole hearing is scheduled for December 2026. Franke is incarcerated in the same facility but in a separate wing. Following her conviction, the Utah Department of Commerce's Division of Professional Licensing stripped Hildebrandt of her clinical counselling licence in 2024.
Documentary director Skye Borgman highlighted the chilling nature of the abuse, noting to Netflix's Tudum that the fact the boy escaped from Hildebrandt's house, not his mother's, was "the simplest and the most diabolical part of the story."
A Story of Coercive Control and Lasting Impact
The documentary explores how Hildebrandt's manipulative behaviour was broadcast to the world through Franke's channel, yet went unrecognised as abuse. Borgman stated the case shows how "manipulative behaviour and coercive control can happen right in front of your eyes."
Former clients from the LDS (Latter-day Saints) community appear in the film, sharing how Hildebrandt used a dangerous intersection of trust, power, and religion to distort their sense of self and family. "It can happen to pretty much anybody," Borgman added.
The case has spawned several media depictions, including a Lifetime movie and an Investigation Discovery series. The Netflix documentary also suggests that after their arrests, Franke began to distance herself from Hildebrandt, a move seen as both a recognition of guilt and an act of self-preservation ahead of sentencing.
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story is streaming now on Netflix, serving as a stark warning about the hidden dangers of coercive influence.
