A parenting influencer who rose to fame on YouTube with controversial advice has been sentenced to at least four years in prison for starving and abusing her children. Ruby Franke, 42, pleaded guilty along with her former business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, who received the same sentence.
Franke's arrest came after her 12-year-old son escaped from their home in Utah, covered in open wounds and with duct tape still on his ankles. He was suffering from malnourishment and deep lacerations from being tied up with rope, according to police. Four children were taken into care.
Franke apologised in court, saying she had been “so disoriented that I believed dark was light and right was wrong.” Her YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, which launched in 2015, amassed over two million subscribers. Critics had long condemned her strict parenting methods, including withholding meals and removing a teenager's bedroom for seven months.
Experts suggest her success reflected anxiety among parents seeking radical solutions. Child development specialist Dr Siggie Cohen said such channels play on fears about parenting skills. Franke's estranged husband Kevin has not been charged and previously defended their approach as teaching children to “live responsibly”.
