Ruby Franke, a mother of six who lives in Utah, rose to fame as a family vlogger on the YouTube channel “8 Passengers.” Sharing her daily life and parenting experiences with the world with her husband, Kevin Franke has garnered her 2.5 million subscribers. His video was criticized at the time because the way both of them raised their children was different.
Ruby Franke became more controversial when she co-founded the “Connections” parenting advice and support program. The venture was not without controversy, with some online critics going so far as to label it a “cult”. Many viewers found her parenting style to be overly strict and harsh, and she faced backlash for comments that were perceived as homophobic, racist, and transphobic.

In one particularly controversial instance, Franke insisted that children should not receive unconditional love, a statement that further fueled the controversy surrounding him.

What is “8 Passengers”?

Ruby and Kevin Franke started the “8 Passengers” YouTube channel in 2015 to document the lives of their family, which included six children: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve. At its peak, the channel had 2.5 million subscribers and was renowned as one of the most famous yet infamous family video channels.

However, the contents of the family have always been a source of controversy, and the last three years have been particularly damaging. People who watched the show started petitions and explained what they felt were cases of child abuse and neglect.

One of their sons was made to sleep on a beanbag as a reprisal for the joke, while Ruby Franke stole Christmas from a young child because of her selfishness. Other notable incidents include Ruby Franke refusing to feed her 6-year-old daughter, who had forgotten her lunch, and forcing one of her sons to sleep on a beanbag. Many considered this parenting style too strict in these and other situations.

The family-oriented vlogging channel “8 Passengers” was used by activists as an example of how they made children vulnerable to exposure and abuse. As a result, Illinois passed a statute to provide safeguards for children using social media accounts for the benefit of their parents.

Why Was Ruby Franke Arrested

Things took a turn for the worse when Ruby Franke and her business partner Jody Hildebrandt were both detained in Springville, Utah. Both were charged with two counts of second-degree intentional or negligent aggravated child abuse.

The arrest was the result of a disturbing incident where a young child is said to have jumped out of the window of Jody Hildebrandt’s house to ask a neighbor for food and drink. The children were very hungry and thin, their wounds were open and duct tape was tied to their wrists and ankles. After the police arrived, they found another malnourished child in the same house.

While executing the search warrant, officers found evidence in the home that matched the injuries seen on a juvenile. In particular, Ruby Franke was seen filming in the house a few days ago, which suggests that she was aware of the children’s circumstances.

The Washington County Jail is now holding Ruby Franke without bond. On her Instagram account, her eldest daughter, Shari, expressed her relief and described the arrest as a long-pending act of justice. Sharry urged people to send any links or recordings of “suspicious or related” films of “8 Passengers” or “Connexions” to the relevant evidence-gathering Google doc.

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In Shorts About Ruby Franke and the “8 Passengers” Controversy

Ruby Franke: Ruby Franke, a mother of six from Utah, rose to stardom as a family vlogger named “8 Passengers” on YouTube. For his parenting decisions and his behavior with his children, he received a lot of negative reactions online.

“8 Passengers” Channel: Ruby and her husband Kevin Franke launched the “8 Passengers” YouTube channel in 2015 to share stories of their family life and upbringing. At its peak, it had about 2.5 million subscribers.

Controversial Parenting: Due to such events, which viewers saw as excessively strict and punitive upbringing, the video of the Franke family caused controversy. Over the years, this controversy became more heated, leading to internet petitions and allegations of child abuse and neglect.

“ConneXions” Program: The parenting guidance and support program “Connections,” co-founded by Ruby Franke, was criticized and called a “cult” by some. Many saw the program’s parenting style as excessive, and it faced criticism for comments deemed homophobic, racist, and transphobic.

Arrest and Child Abuse Charges: Ruby Franke’s business partner Jody Hildebrandt and she were both charged with two counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse, either knowingly or unknowingly. The arrest came after a horrific incident at Hildebrandt’s home involving underweight children with duct tape around their wrists and ankles.

Evidence of Awareness: Officers found evidence in the home during the execution of the search warrant that was consistent with the wounds seen on one of the children. A few days ago, Ruby Franke was seen filming inside the house, which suggests that she was aware of the children’s circumstances.

The daughter’s response: Ruby Franke’s eldest daughter, Shari, expressed relief on her Instagram story and thanked the authorities for the arrest as a sign of justice being served. To gather evidence for the trial, Schary urged anyone who has access to the disturbing “8 Passengers” or “Connections” films to share them.