Ruby Franke is a well-known person in the family vlogging and content creation industries. Her captivating demeanor and poignant narration have captured the attention of audiences. Ruby, the matriarch of the “8 Passengers” YouTube channel, tells her audience about the pleasures and difficulties of raising a family.
Although the exploits of her family are extensively documented on the internet, there is interest in the man standing next to her. Let’s take a closer look at Ruby Franke’s husband’s life, examining the intricacies of their union and learning more about the man who has shaped their family’s path.
Ruby Franke Husband: What’s the Reason Behind Her Separation?
Kevin Franke, the patriarch of the 8 Passengers YouTube channel and husband of erstwhile family vlogger Ruby Franke, filed for divorce in December 2023.
BREAKING: Accused child abuser Ruby Franke’s estranged husband files for divorce
Full story here: https://t.co/bI395utDz4 pic.twitter.com/fYuQOG4qQP
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) November 29, 2023
About three months they had passed since Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, her business partner, were taken into custody and charged with six counts of criminal child abuse.
At that time, the divorce was filed. On August 30, police discovered Ruby Franke’s 12-year-old son injured, malnourished, and duct-taped. Later on, Hildebrandt’s 10-year-old daughter was found at her house in a similarly undernourished state.
Kevin Franke submitted a divorce petition to the Utah 4th District Court. Utah allows divorce records to be kept secret. Still, the filing states that the parties are prohibited from harassing one another, abusing one another in front of the children, or disparaging one another in front of them.
Until a divorce is finalized, the petition is dismissed, or the parties agree to terminate it, the injunction is in effect. With the help of their YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, the Franks and their six kids became well-known in 2015.
Before it was removed earlier this year, the channel boasted a member base of over 2.3 million people. However, the Franks had already been involved in controversy due to their rigid parenting style.
A request for comment from Randy Kester, Kevin Franke’s lawyer, was not immediately answered. At the moment, Ruby Franke is not being represented by a divorce attorney.
“Kevin did not want to be separated,” Kester said. “He wanted to work through concerns as a family. There was never any formal, written decree of separate maintenance or separation agreement. The separation was under terms proscribed by Ruby and Jodi Hildebrandt.”
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Ruby Franke Children
Kevin and Ruby are parents to six children together: Eve, Russell, Julie, Chad, Abby, and Shari. Their now-defunct 8Passengers YouTube channel featured their children, who are between the ages of 10 and 20.
After Ruby’s arrest in August 2023, four of their children were placed under the custody of Child Protective Services. Shari, her oldest and estranged daughter, rejoiced when the police showed up at the family’s house.
“Today has been a big day,” Shari posted to Instagram. “My family and I are so glad justice is being served. We’ve been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up.”
Arrest and Charges
Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested in Ivins, Utah, on August 30, 2023, and charged with six counts of felony aggravated child abuse on September 1, 2023.
Franke’s 12-year-old son, who appeared emaciated and had “open wounds and duct tape around the extremities,” climbed through Hildebrandt’s window and asked a neighbor for food and water, according to the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department.
Both Franke’s 10-year-old daughter and the youngster were transferred to a hospital, where the boy was treated for acute malnourishment and “deep lacerations from being tied up with rope.”
The Utah Division of Child and Family Services took the boy, girl, and two more of Franke’s children after a house search uncovered evidence “consistent with the markings” on the 12-year-old. Police later learned that the youngster dressed his wounds with cayenne pepper and honey.
Bail was denied for Franke and Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt resigned as a counselor pending legal and disciplinary proceedings. YouTube suspended Franke and deleted two of her channels after her arrest.
Franke admitted four serious child abuse charges on December 18, 2023. She later denied two more charges. The facts detailed the abuse, including Franke forcing her son to work outdoors for weeks without protection, resulting in severe sunburns, and assertions that the children were possessed.
Franke consented to complete her prison sentences consecutively. The trial was scheduled to feature Franke’s testimony. Still, Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of felony aggravated child abuse on December 27, 2023, with two charges dismissed as part of another plea deal.
Franke received four consecutive sentences of one to fifteen years on February 20, 2024, with the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole determining her sentence.
