The new Disney+ documentary Devil In The Family: The Fall Of Ruby Franke tells the harrowing story of a seemingly perfect YouTube family and horrific child abuse
Ruby Franke was the perfect Mormon wife and mother. At least, that’s what she wanted fans to believe.
In a new Disney+ documentary, Devil In The Family: The Fall Of Ruby Franke, the story of the social media star’s venture into YouTube and eventual imprisonment is covered across three episodes. As the episodes go on, the tone gets darker, eventually ending with the abuse of her four youngest children at her own hands.
Originally on YouTube as 8 Passengers, Ruby’s channel featured videos which showed the Franke family’s daily lives. It featured Ruby, her husband Kevin, and their children: including eldest kids Shari and Chad, ranging from one years old to 11 at the start. Shari and Chad appear in the documentary, while the other four do not to protect their identities.
The channel became so popular that it earned the family $100,000 per month at its peak. But it didn’t take long for public opinion to change.
Initially, fans were left horrified by the form of punishments Ruby would use on her kids. One of them included taking eldest son Chad’s bedroom away for a number of months, forcing him to sleep on a beanbag in the basement instead.
She also made one of the girls, who had been six, go without food after she forgot to take her lunch to school. The daughter was later forced to sleep on the bathroom floor after wetting the bed.
Things got far, far worse though after Ruby forged a close friendship (which may or may not have been more than a friendship, according to the documentary) with controversial therapist Jodi Hildebrandt. Jodi was brought in to help Chad.
Eventually, Jodi and Ruby launched Moms Of Truth. It’s described in the documentary as “man-hating” and “a cult”, and things got so bad that Jodi made Ruby split from husband Kevin, who then moved out of the home.
What did Ruby Franke do?
After that, Ruby and Jodi subjected the four youngest children to horrific abuse. It was not uncovered until her brave son managed to escape to a neighbour’s house, who alerted the police.
The 12-year-old was found with duct tape around his ankles and wrists, and obvious signs of malnourishment. It emerged that the children were often denied food and water, and even beds to sleep in.
They also were forced into physical tasks, including sitting against without a wall with no chair for hours. They might also be forced to work outdoors in the scorching heat with no socks or shoes, or just stand outside for hours upon end.
Ruby Franke was charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse, and pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in December 2023. She claimed to have believed that the kids had been possessed, and the abuse would rid them of the apparent demons.
Where is Ruby Franke now?
The sick mother was sentenced to between four and 60 years in February 2024, with Jodi getting the same. They were both placed at Utah State Prison, and must each serve at least four years and at most 30.
According to TODAY.com, Ruby is now incarcerated in the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. She’s been there since last year.
Jodi is also behind bars there, meaning there is a chance they could still cross paths. It was confirmed by the Utah Department of Corrections that they are housed in separate sections, but that would not stop them seeing each other during classes or gym time.
Neither Ruby nor Jodi chose to speak to the documentary makers.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
