11 episodes
The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke Wondery
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- True Crime
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3.1 • 1.2K 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.
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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.
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#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. -
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. -
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. -
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.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. -
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.
Customer Reviews
Not well told
Repeating so many facts and not giving any new information. Taking forever to let the episodes out. It’s a story that should be told, by someone with more information.
Un-true Crime
Wondery true crime has fallen off hard lately! This is the second podcast of theirs now where they consistently allow the people close to the/one of the perpetrators to try to garner sympathy for the perp instead of stating facts. Here, Chad Franke’s lawyer keeps trying to push a narrative that Chad had nothing to do with the abuse of the children - despite the fact that the abuse started far before his separation from Ruby (including withholding food and a place to sleep from children, as well as sending one of his children to a wilderness “rehabilitation” program for “troubled” teens). The fact that Wondery allows this to happen with no pushback is not only disgusting, but also lazy journalism.
As is also a staple of Wondery pods, statements are constantly rephrased and regurgitated to increase the number of episodes and pad runtime.
Another troubling thing I’m seeing here is the use of non-experts in interviews - most of the interview subjects here are just random subscribers to the Frankes’ Youtube channel! What would they know about anything! Would’ve been much more interesting to hear from Mormans on how their culture could’ve led to this, or from lawyers on what some of the trial proceedings mean, or a CPS worker on how it took so long to catch them, etc.
Really discouraging to see such a decline in quality journalism directly on the heels of Wondery shifting to exclusively paywalled content. I’d be livid if I was paying even the $4/month for such shoddy pods!
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I guess I won’t be listening to the rest of this podcast since I am required to pay $5.99/month to hear it in its entirety.