Naman Shrestha
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence’ primarily sheds light on the wrongdoings of disgraced therapist Jodi Hildebrandt and ex-vlogger Ruby Franke, showcasing how their bond went beyond their professional relationship via the ConneXions program and ultimately resulted in the abuse of several of Ruby’s kids at their hands. For years, Ruby and her then-husband, Kevin, managed a popular YouTube channel wherein they shared the happenings of their daily life. However, everything fell apart when they crossed paths with Jodi. Aside from subjecting her kids to emotional and physical harm, Ruby’s disturbing actions also left lasting scars on her then-husband of over two decades. When Kevin learn the truth behind what was going on in the house while he and Ruby were separated, he was devastated. Following her arrest, he did everything in his power to stand by his kids and ensure their safety.
Kevin Franke Was Unaware of His Estranged Wife’s Abuse of Their Kids
Kevin William Franke and Ruby tied the knot on December 28, 2000, in the presence of their family and friends. Over the years, the Mormon couple welcomed six children — Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve — and built a beautiful life in Springville, Utah. In the mid-2010s, Kevin had been working at Brigham Young University as an Assistant Engineering Professor. Alongside being a stay-at-home mother, Ruby became a vlogger when she launched a YouTube channel named 8 Passengers with Kevin in 2015. Through the platform, they began documenting their day-to-day personal and professional endeavors as well as the experiences of their kids. From their approach to homeschooling, potty training, and disciplining the kids, to opening up about the challenges they faced in relation to fertility, they shared it all.
As years passed, they posted the family vlogs an average of five times a week and garnered over 1 billion views and 2.5 million subscribers by mid-2020. Sometime in 2021, the pair consulted a marriage counselor, Jodi Hildebrandt, to mend the issues in their relationship. Things began to change after they joined ConneXions, a program curated to fix their problem. As per Kevin’s lawyer, when Ruby reportedly got back from her trip under Jodi’s program, she insisted Kevin move out of the house and live separately, as his “attitude is infesting the family.” A few months after Kevin moved out in September 2022, Ruby’s YouTube channel got suspended, and she soon assumed the position of a mental health coach at Jodi’s ConneXions.
Kevin claimed that he was barred from reaching out to the family unless Ruby contacted him on her own, which, as per court records, took place only “three or four times.” On August 30, 2023, he received the shock of his life when he learnt that Ruby had been arrested on six counts of aggravated child abuse, alongside Jodi Hildebrandt, on whose property four of the kids were moved sometime in the year. At the time, he had been living apart from Ruby and the kids. Upon learning of the disturbing details of abuse, Kevin couldn’t begin to imagine the depth of suffering the kids were forced to endure. Ultimately, in December 2023, Ruby pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. In February 2024, she was sentenced to four terms of one to 15 years (60 years) behind bars. However, due to a law-related restraint, she won’t serve more than 30 years.
Kevin Franke Fought With Great Resilience For the Custody of the Kids
As the harrowing details of the abuse began to unfold post the arrest of Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt in the last week of August 2023, Kevin decided to make his separation from the former official and filed for divorce in November of the same year. In April 2024, the father of six filed a lawsuit against Jodi, accusing her of causing emotional distress and negligence in relation to him and his kids. Kevin’s lawyer stated that the suit was initiated for the benefit of the kids to “preserve Hildebrandt’s wealth and assets until appropriate action can be taken to make the kids whole.” The suit also stated that their father had to seek therapy sessions “in order to coordinate not only with the children’s treatment providers, but to gain an understanding of his children’s conditions and needs.”
Since then, Kevin has been dedicated to strengthening child welfare laws and demanding stricter accountability from the state’s life coaching practices. In July 2024, he urged the Utah state legislators to amend the law to ensure that when “reported red flags” are raised by concerned relatives, friends, and community members, the child welfare workers offer temporary custody to the children. In October, he reiterated the need for reforms and even requested an investigation into Utah’s Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS). In February 2025, Kevin told People that he didn’t want any contact with Ruby. He stated, “The last letter that I received from (Ruby) from prison was maybe in March or April of last year. And then I requested the Department of Corrections to ask her to stop writing me. I didn’t want to hear anymore. I didn’t like what she was saying … I’m still very angry.”
Expressing concern about the mental well-being of the mother of his children, he added, “I genuinely, genuinely hope she gets the help she needs … I really believe that she was damaged severely by swallowing the teachings that Jodi just was serving up for her.” In March, their divorce was finalized. Per the divorce decree, Ruby was prohibited from communicating with the kids, while Kevin was granted full custody of Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve. According to reports, Kevin chose to waive any child support owed by Ruby but decided to remain the owner of their property in Springville and Scofield, Carbon County. The court ordered Ruby to continue to possess her premarital assets, personal property, along with the $85,000 she took out after Kevin was reportedly asked to move out in 2022. However, other financial assets belonging to her were reportedly awarded to Kevin. He shifted her assets in a unit and handed over the keys to her family.
Kevin Franke Draws Strength From the Love and Support of His Kids
In the years following the arrest and subsequent conviction of Ruby, Kevin has decided to step away from the limelight and lead a life of privacy. Most of his remarks on the case have only been presented through his lawyer. However, in February 2025, Kevin raised awareness about the dark side of social media in an interview with ABC News. He also provided an update on their life since reuniting with his kids and regaining the chance to live with them under the same roof again. “It’s wonderful to be surrounded by my children. There’s laughter again. We have a lot of new furry friends. It is a zoo, and it’s funny because like, they chew up all the floorboards and everything, and I’m just thinking, if Ruby was here, she’d be furious. But Ruby’s not, and I don’t care, and I’m happy.”
Talking about Shari and Chad, he added that he calls them over for dinner on Sundays as part of the Franke family tradition. Kevin also mentioned that though he still has love in his heart for the woman he spent over 20 years with, he can’t forgive the trauma and hurt she caused their kids and him. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving her. Does that mean that I want to let her back into my life? Let her back into my kids’ lives? Absolutely not,” he said. In the same conversation with People, Kevin concluded, “I’m going to do what’s best for my children, for my family, and for myself, and that’s not going to include her.” In early August 2025, the father of six filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Jodi Hildebrandt, further requesting a jury trial and seeking to hold Jodi’s personal assets liable.
Read More: Where is Jodi Hildebrandt Now?
