Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
The initial police interview of Ruby Franke following her arrest in 2023, has resurfaced.
It comes as a new Netflix documentary on the former influencer dropped in December, delving into the horrific acts which Franke and business partner Jodi Hildebrandt carried out on the former's children.
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Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story covers the story of the pair, both of whom were arrested in August 2023 after Franke's then-12-year-old son fled Hildebrandt's home in Utah and alterted neighbours.
He managed to escape through a window while having duct tape around his wrists and ankles, as well as lacerations all over his body.
Police were called to the home, discovering that his five siblings were in similar states, as footage of Franke's son escaping was also released to the public.
The new documentary has been described as 'disturbing, infuriating, and heartbreaking', as it looks at the actions of the former family vlogger.
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Director Skye Borgman, told Tudum that the kids 'probably wouldn't be with us today', if that boy didn't escape.
"Just the simple fact that this little boy escapes from Jodi Hildebrandt’s house, where the abuse is happening - not from his mom’s house. That, to me, was the simplest and the most diabolical part of the story," she pointed out.
Bergman spoke of the desire to 'prevent this from happening again', explaining: "This kind of manipulative behaviour and coercive control can happen right in front of your eyes."
Franke and Hildebrandt are currently being held at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City after pleading guilty to numerous counts of child abuse, as both were sentenced to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years in February 2024.
Now, police interview footage of Franke has been shared again almost one year after she was given the maximum sentence for child abuse.
Franke, 42, once used to offer parental advice to millions on her YouTube channel, but she appeared emotionless and silent following her arrest.
Released by the Washington County Attorney’s Office in January last year, officers can be heard asking questions about her children, as Franke refuses to comment.
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Holding a blank stare for nearly two minutes, she said after questioning that she'll only speak with her attorney.
Her crimes are put under the spotlight in the doc, which primarily focuses on how the jailed founder of the life-coaching company ConneXions, Hildebrandt, became obsessed with the idea of 'fixing' Franke's family.
The children didn't make an appearance in the production, though Borgman noted that they were 'moving on and trying to find some form of normal'.
Franke, who launched 8 Passengers on YouTube in 2015 with her husband, amassed a large following before working with her accomplice.
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The mum admitted in her plea deal that she had kicked her son while wearing boots, held his head under water, and closed his mouth and nose with her hands.
This document further stated that the disgraced mother used ropes to tie handcuffs which were positioned around her son's hands and feet while he laid on his stomach, lifting his arms and legs off the ground, which left him injured.
While Franke previously said the acts of abuse were 'acts of love', she admitted to the 'physical torture' of her son.
She also didn't provide him with food on a regular basis, as he was made to endure hours of physical labour in the unforgiving summer heat without sunscreen and a lack of water.
He would also be given plain food while the rest of the family enjoyed flavourful meals, with the boy banned from using electronics, books, or notebooks.
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Franke's daughter, who was nine at the time, was also forced to work outside without food and water.
In a statement given to a 5th District Court judge in 2024, she stated: "My choice to believe and behave this paranoia culminated into criminal activity, for which I stand before you today ready to take accountability.
"Jodi Hildebrandt was never my business partner, nor was I ever employed by her.
"I have never received wages from her or ConneXions. Jodi was employed as my son’s counsellor in 2019, and in 2020, I paid her to be my mentor.
"It is important to me to demonstrate my remorse and regret without blame. I take full accountability for my choices, and it is my preference that I serve a prison sentence."
Full timeline of the Ruby Franke case
Starting a YouTube channel and initial suspicions
Franke started her parenting YouTube channel '8 Passengers' with now ex-husband Kevin, amassing over 2.5 million subscribers before it was deleted in 2023 following the arrest.
Several subscribers became suspicious of child abuse, with a petition being signed for the police to investigate the family, citing the numerous questionable videos uploaded.
Franke joins ConneXions with Jodi Hildebrandt
The mum told critics in a 2021 interview for The Wrap that she was showing everyone 'what a responsible mother looks like'.
She stopped uploading videos to the channel in 2022 and joined Mormon therapist Hildebrandt's ConneXions podcast.
Their divisive opinions on subjects such as eating disorders, blaming rape victims and criticising immigrants drew the wrong kind of attention.
The arrest
Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested on child abuse charges in August 2023.
The Santa Clara Public Safety Department were called to the Ivins neighbourhood in Utah after a neighbour was alerted by Franke's 'emaciated' 12-year-old son, who escaped to knock on their door to ask for help.
He had visible marks and wounds from duct tape put around his ankles, and asked for some food and water.
Police found his 10-year-old sister in a 'similar physical condition of malnourishment' in Hildebrandt's house.
Family members speak out
Franke's oldest daughter, Shari, wrote on Instagram on the day of the arrests: “Today has been a big day."
She continued: "Me and my family 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."
In November, Kevin also officially filed for divorce from Franke, and called her actions to their children 'horrific and inhumane'.
Franke and Hildebrandt are charged with six counts of child abuse
Just one week after their arrests, the pair were charged with six counts of felony child abuse.
YouTube banned Franke, deleting both the 8 Passengers and ConneXions channels and blocking her from the social media platform.
Franke blames the abuse on Hildebrandt
Her attorneys released a statement that said: “Initially, Ms. Franke believed that Jodi Hildebrandt had the insight to offer a path to continual improvement. Ms. Hildebrandt took advantage of this quest and twisted it into something heinous," according to Fox13.
It blamed Hildebrandt solely for isolating Franke from her family completely, distorting her morality.
Franke pleads guilty
Just three days after the statement was released, Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. A court had heard how she had tried to convince her youngest children they were 'evil and possessed'.
Franke and Hildebrandt are sentenced to prison for child abuse
On 20 February 2024, Franke and Hildebrandt were convicted and given four separate prison sentences for one to 15 years, with the length of each sentence decided by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.
During sentencing, Franke apologised to her children and said she would 'never stop crying for hurting their tender souls'.
She said: "My willingness to sacrifice all for you was masterfully manipulated into something very ugly.
"I took from you all that was soft and safe and good."
The two women will not serve more than 30 years in a Federal Penitentiary because of a Utah law about consecutive sentences.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Topics: Ruby Franke, YouTube, Crime, US News
Joshua Nair