12 episodes

Ruby Franke, a Utah mom turned YouTube “momfluencer” who amassed 2.6 million subscribers, was known for her strict disciplinarian parenting style. But authorities now say that her "tough love" was actually child abuse. Ruby Franke's son escaped from the Utah home of her self-help business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. The boy was reportedly starved and tied up with duct tape along with his 10 year old sister. As law enforcement dug deeper, they uncovered injuries, torture, and emotional harm inflicted by both Franke and Hildebrandt. Law&Crime takes you behind the scenes, from Ruby and Jodi's path to internet stardom, to the investigation that brought them down.
Binge all episodes of The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke ad-free by joining Wondery+ on the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-rise-and-fall-of-ruby-franke/ now.

The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke Wondery

    • True Crime
    • 3.2 • 1.3K Ratings

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Ruby Franke, a Utah mom turned YouTube “momfluencer” who amassed 2.6 million subscribers, was known for her strict disciplinarian parenting style. But authorities now say that her "tough love" was actually child abuse. Ruby Franke's son escaped from the Utah home of her self-help business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. The boy was reportedly starved and tied up with duct tape along with his 10 year old sister. As law enforcement dug deeper, they uncovered injuries, torture, and emotional harm inflicted by both Franke and Hildebrandt. Law&Crime takes you behind the scenes, from Ruby and Jodi's path to internet stardom, to the investigation that brought them down.
Binge all episodes of The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke ad-free by joining Wondery+ on the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-rise-and-fall-of-ruby-franke/ now.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Meet the Frankes

    Meet the Frankes

    They call themselves and their YouTube channel the “8 Passengers” — mom Ruby, dad Kevin, and their six kids in tow. By all appearances, they’re your stereotypical American Mormon family, but there’s something simmering under the surface. Loyal fans of the 8 Passengers page have been picking up on something startling over the years, and it’s not long before the genie is out of the bottle.

    You can listen to all episodes of The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start Your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/links/the-rise-and-fall-of-ruby-franke/ now. 

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 36 min
    #FreeChad

    #FreeChad

    As 8 Passengers’ following grows, so do their subscribers' concerns about the welfare of Ruby Franke’s children. Specifically her oldest son, Chad, who becomes noticeably absent from vlogs in the summer of 2019. Viewers press in the comments for answers as to his whereabouts, and what they learn provides more clues into Ruby’s punitive parenting philosophy.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 38 min
    Enter Jodi Hildebrandt

    Enter Jodi Hildebrandt

    Ruby’s vlogs see a shift in their consistency and messaging. 8 Passengers’ family diary style videos are now peppered with self-improvement advice. Ruby shares news that she’s now affiliated with a program called “ConneXions”, which is owned and operated by a woman named Jodi Hildebrandt. And under the influence of Jodi’s counseling, both Ruby’s marriage and family life are turned upside down. 

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 30 min
    Under Her Thumb

    Under Her Thumb

    Ruby has fully come into the ConneXions fold, and she’s no longer just promoting Jodi’s work – she’s become integral to her operation. Together, Jodi and Ruby forge a new venture on social media called “Moms of Truth.” But how well can they be trusted? Jodi’s past transgressions come to light, jeopardizing her authority. 

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 29 min
    August 30, 2023

    August 30, 2023

    Law enforcement across Utah jump into action after a 911 dispatcher in Ivins receives an alarming call from Jodi Hildebrandt’s neighbor. As the day unfolds, the extent of Jodi and Ruby’s disciplinary practices are revealed, and they are nothing short of shocking. The two women are thrust into the national spotlight and are forced to face the consequences. 

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    • 31 min
    Guilty as Sin

    Guilty as Sin

    Ruby and Jodi’s abusive ways are no longer just speculative. Now that the two have been formally charged, the details of their actions become public record. What the court documents reveal are worse than anyone could have imagined. And, the treatment Russel and Eve suffered under Jodi’s roof catches the attention of someone from Jodi’s past who says they were subjected to nearly identical treatment. 

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 27 min

Customer Reviews

3.2 out of 5
1.3K Ratings

1.3K Ratings

Ballsout9999 ,

Pretty good true crime recap of the Franke saga

I think most reviews are either Utahan Mormons or disgruntled wonder+ subscribers. It’s overall a decent review of the facts as they happened, with an eye toward the social media phenomenon that swirled around this case.

My one point off is for some hand waving toward the end to Ruby herself by authorities. It moves past the theory of a connection between mythical religious thinking and the submission to authority required by Ruby and her kids throughout this story to get this bad. Jodi is no saint and deserves some time herself, but the idea that she’s worse than Ruby (the one with the actual duty to protect her kids) is abhorrent to me and idk how any trained psychologist would hand wave this away. If Jodi is the problem, so is the church, Kevin, and anyone remotely close to the situation. All of these people are only sorry because they got caught.

DR Honda in one of the final episodes all but excuses her for being “brainwashed” despite the abuse starting well before her and Jodi’s mentorship. He even says how there’s this movement to reject progressive thought, and without Jodi the kids probably would’ve been fine. As if this rejection of progressivism isn’t directly signaling Ruby’s caveman level interpretation of the world. Oh no, it was this one bad person, not the swarm of factors telling Ruby that she was right and on a godly path.

Poogey Watson ,

Weak Coverage

I think this podcast is painfully surface level. Completely skates over the Mormon Cover up, the fact that Jodi's abuse of her niece was directly centered around anti LGBTQ bigotry, doesn't address that religious fanaticism is why this case happened.

They also completely let Kevin off of the hook. He is a part of this abuse. He encouraged the exploitation of his children and did not stop or report the abuse. What kind of father just peaces out on his kids and leaves them with a mentally unstable religious lunatic? Criminal negligence.

Jodi got her degree to practice therapy from a religious college, specifically from a religion that doesn't believe in basic human rights for all humans. Can't believe the writers of this podcast were so uninterested in following any leads.

USA Mknitter ,

Sad impact on the children

Thank you for sharing a lot of the background info on the participants of this story - far more than what was made public on national news. Those children may never overcome the trauma they experienced; they were never allowed to be “typical children.” I grew up in a large family with parents who expected us to be perfect, and not making allowances for our humanness. Also, my parents were more concerned about the “alphabet soup of letters” following a professional’s name—not common sense—maybe clouded by evangelicalism at that time. Sometimes my punishment was greater than the infraction. A great, but sad, podcast.

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