Naman Shrestha
In Netflix’s ‘Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story,’ the primary focus is on the twisted tale of manipulation woven by Utah-based therapist Jodi Hildebrandt and Ruby Franke, a mother of six. Their inevitable friendship turned into something disturbing for Ruby’s family, especially her children, as the two women inflicted extreme measures in order to punish the kids for minor mistakes. Since her eldest child, Shari Franke, was an adult at the time, she managed to avoid the harsh treatments that her siblings experienced. Later, she raised her voice against her mother and the family counselor.
Shari Franke Allegedly Experienced Physical Abuse in Her Childhood
Shari Franke, the eldest of Ruby and Kevin Franke‘s six children, featured regularly on her vlogger mother’s YouTube channel, alongside her siblings — Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve. As per her accounts, Ruby used to slap her in the face or slam her hand down on a surface when she was about five or six years old in the name of punishment. Shari alleged that the physical abuse turned into psychological abuse with the introduction of Jodi Hildebrandt into her and her siblings’ lives. Talking about the time when Jodi moved into the Frankes’ residence in 2022, she told Good Morning America, “I don’t think it’s normal at all that a therapist would move into her client’s home. I was moving out to college and hadn’t even left the house yet, and she is in my room and in my bed.”
Shari claimed that she also tried to report the situation to the police for several years. When her mother got arrested in 2023, she expressed her relief on social media. She wrote and she and her 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.” Ultimately, both women pleaded guilty to their crimes and received separate sentences for each count. In the following months, Shari tried her best to reconnect with her father and younger siblings.
Shari Franke’s Life Revolves Around Her Family and Cats
Several months later, in January 2025, Shari Franke was interviewed by People, where she said that she was not interested in reconnecting with her mother, Ruby. She stated, “She’s very selective in what she’s remorseful about, and I don’t think that she’ll ever fully recover until she can look at everything that’s happened with her. Part of me feels guilty if I don’t forgive. But I’ve come to realize that forgiveness for me just means that I don’t let her actions consume my thoughts.” She admitted that she was still angry about how her mother treated her, but claimed that “I am living my life and I am not letting her take any more of that from me than she’s already taken.”
Apart from attending therapy and rebuilding her relationship with her father, Shari also takes care of her cats — Muppet, Patch, and Goose. In late December 2024, she got engaged to the love of her life but announced that she was “not going to talk about my wedding, future husband, or future kids.” She added, “I’m moving on with my life, and that’s true freedom and joy ❤️. Please respect my privacy and the privacy of my future family, and don’t speculate or pry. This is my wish, and my gift to my family.” In September 2025, she attended the Bachelorette party of her brother Chad’s fiancée, Kamryn Anderson. A few months later, in December, she opened up about her father’s new marriage and how glad she was to finally see her dad happy. “I’m so glad I was there to witness his love story,” she said.
Shari Franke is a Data Analyst Based in Utah
After working on a memoir for several months, Shari Franke published ‘The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom’ on January 7, 2025. In her book, she reflected on the years of alleged abuse she faced at the hands of her mother, Ruby Franke, while growing up. In April, she graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Statistics, Research and Data Analysis. Before that, she had already earned several years of experience as a social media content creator and Brand Marketing Consultant by working at various companies on a contract basis.
Moreover, from February 2023 to May 2025, Shari was a part of the Research Staff at Brigham Young University. She also uses her influential voice to bring the necessary changes when it comes to child abuse. In November 2025, she also collaborated with Ivy City and promoted their Christmas line on her social media. Currently, the former child influencer-turned-advocate, who resides in Provo, Utah, serves as a Data Analyst at Y2 Analytics, a company based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Read More: Where is Ruby Franke Now? Update on the Child Abuser
