Ruby Franke the famous mother behind the now defunct family YouTube channel 8 Passengers, was recently arrested, check out her biography, net worth and other personal details, including her arrest details and more below.
Police arrested Jodi alongside her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt on two counts of aggravated child abuse on Wednesday, 30 September.
Who is Ruby Franke 8 Passengers YouTube mom, net worth, biography, age, husband, family and children
Ruby Franke, the mom from the YouTube channel "8 Passengers," got arrested for hurting a young child who was malnourished and had injuries, including duct tape on their arms and legs pic.twitter.com/IeEKe9OGuZ
— OneLike (@OneLikeApp) September 1, 2023
According to reports, police found a malnourished child with open wounds and duct tape at Jodi Hildebrandt’s residence.
Ruby Franke biography and family
Ruby Franke is a social media personality who was born on 18 January 1982 in Utah, USA. She was born to parents Chad and Jennifer Griffiths and she is the eldest of five siblings. Her four younger siblings are: Beau Griffiths, Bonnie Hoellein, Ellie Mecham, and Julie Deru. All the five siblings are popular American YouTube stars.
Education
After completing her high school from a local school, Ruby joined Utah State University. She took a major in accounting but dropped out of the university before finishing the course.
Age and height
Ruby is currently 41 years old and stands at a height of 5’5” or 1.65m.
Marriage and husband
Ruby married her long term boyfriend, Kevin Franke at the young age of 18. Kevin has a Ph.D. and currently works as an assistant professor in civil engineering at Brigham Young University. The pair initially met back in university and eventually started dating. The couple got married on 28 December 2000.
Children
Ruby and Kevin Franke have six children together. The couple welcomed their first child a daughter named Shari Franke in March 2003 three years after their marriage. Their second child, a son named Chad was born on 2 February 2005 and another daughter named Abby Franke was born on 14 April 2007. Their fourth child, a daughter named Julie Franke was born in January 2009, while their fifth child, a son named Russell Franke was born on 9 July 2011. After suffering two miscarriages, Ruby gave birth to their youngest daughter, Eve Franke on 1 September 2013.
8 Passengers YouTube channel
Franke and her husband Kevin launched their family YouTube channel, called 8 Passengers, back in early 2015. The channel detailed the lives of the family and had nearly 2.3 million subscribers at its peak. The channel mainly focused on Ruby and Kevin Franke’s parenting style, including how they disciplined and educated their kids. YouTube has now taken down the channel as of Thursday, without any explanation for their actions.
Criticism against the Frankes and their YouTube channel
Despite the popularity of their channel, many people online started putting harsh criticisms on the Frankes in recent years. In fact, a number of people piled allegations of child abuse against the parents. Back in June 2020, child protective services stepped in after a Change.org petition called on the family to be investigated.
The petition cited from a now-deleted video showing their then-15-year-old Chad sharing how he had slept on a bean bag for seven months as a punishment for behavioral issues. According to reports, Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services visited the Franke household but eventually closed the case following unsupported claims.
Another incident where the Frankes were criticized involved their then-6-year-old daughter. The couple allegedly refused to send their daughter lunch at school, after she forgot to pack one. Ruby and her husband were also alleged to have threatened to throw away their children’s prized possessions and even denied them children of personal space.
Interestingly, ConneXions, Jodi Hildebrandt’s life coaching service of which Ruby is a part of also has a similar reputation. The service focuses on parenting and relationships, and is famous for its strict parenting approach. Various critics have labeled the lessons as extreme. Ruby Franke is listed as a “certified mental fitness trainer” on the organization’s site and often helps Hildebrandt make videos.
Ruby Franke arrest charges
Police have arrested Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt on aggravated child abuse charges. Officials found a malnourished child with open wounds and duct tape on their extremities in Hildebrandt’s residence. In the state of Utah, aggravated child abuse is defined as an act that
“inflicts upon a child serious physical injury” or “causes or permits another to inflict serious physical injury upon a child.”
According to the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department, they found evidence which led them to a nearby home. Upon their arrival, they found a second child in a similar condition. The have since taken both children to a hospital. Moreover, the Division of Child and Family Services have also taken four minors under their care.
Ruby Franke’s family speaks out
Interestingly, Ruby Franke’s family have spoken out positively against the recent arrests. Shari Franke, who is the eldest Franke child, posted an Instagram Story on Wednesday saying:
“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.”
Shari Franke previously shared how she was not contact in with her immediate family anymore. She added how she did not support the “extreme” beliefs that ConneXions promoted.
Moreover, Ruby Franke’s sisters – Elle Mechem, Julie Griffiths Deru and Bonnie Hoellein, who are also family influencers, shared a joint Instagram post stating:
“For the past 3 years, we have kept quiet on the subject of our sister Ruby Franke for the sake of her children.”
“Behind the public scene we have done everything we could to try and make sure the kids were safe.”
Ruby Franke net worth
According to various sources, Ruby Franke has an estimated net worth of between $1-5 million.
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