Hulu’s Unseen Footage of Ruby Franke Reveals New Allegations of Child Abuse Before Arrest

In addition to unseen footage from Ruby Franke’s archives, Hulu’s tell-all docuseries about the YouTuber featured her eldest kids breaking their silence about the beatings they went through before she was arrested for child abuse.

During Hulu’s three-part docuseries Devil in the Family, which premiered on Thursday, February 27, Ruby’s eldest daughter and son, Shari and Chad, provided the producers with an archive of over 1,000 hours of unseen footage. They also opened up about experiences that weren’t filmed — including alleged physical abuse.

“There were times where she blew up off camera,” Chad recalled. “She would spank [me], take the belt and pull down my pants and whip me.”

Shari said she witnessed her brother being harmed while some of Franke’s never-before-seen footage hinted at her putting the camera down to harm her kids.

“I did always feel bad when he got in trouble. He would get a bloody nose, and I would bring him toilet paper,” Shari shared in the doc. “I didn’t really know what to do. He got beat really bad one time, and I helped him clean blood off the walls.”

Ruby and husband Kevin Franke were thrust into the spotlight with their 8 Passengers YouTube channel, which they launched in 2015. Initially, the content featured the couple and their six children before Ruby’s friend Jodi Hildebrandt came into the picture. Ruby and Hildebrandt ultimately rebranded into Moms of Truth in order to share more faith-based content.

In 2023, Ruby and Jodi were arrested and charged with six counts of felony child abuse. The arrest came after Ruby’s youngest son, who was 12 years old at the time, escaped from Hildebrandt’s home and asked for help from a neighbor. Authorities noticed that the child was malnourished and had duct tape on his ankles and wrists.

Devil in the Family laid out a timeline — based on Shari, Chad and Kevin’s individual accounts — of Ruby’s rise to fame and the subsequent online backlash that led to her pivoting her content and ultimately going off the grid before her arrest. (Hulu noted at the beginning of the three-part special that the identities of the four youngest Franke children were concealed to protect their privacy.)

“Looking back on it, I don’t think she was a good person. I think she was already an abusive mother before, and then obviously, it escalated dramatically in the last couple of years,” Shari claimed. “And the fact that Ruby went as far as she did, I wouldn’t blame that on Jodi. She just set off things in Ruby that were already in her heart.”

Ruby ultimately pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in December 2023 and admitted she tortured her children. As part of her plea deal, she agreed to serve a prison term and agreed that her sentences would run consecutively. She also agreed to testify against Hildebrandt, who pleaded guilty.

Devil in the Family noted that Ruby and Hildebrandt did not respond to a request for comment on new allegations made in the docuseries. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Shari, Chad and Kevin’s revelations — including unseen footage of Ruby:

Tension From the Start

According to various videos that Ruby never uploaded on her channel, the issues surrounding her constantly filming her family started early. She was seen arguing with Kevin when he wouldn’t engage with her on screen.

“All of a sudden it wasn’t enough to just interact with her,” Kevin recalled. “I had to interact with the camera. And she would pull it out and say, ‘Kevin, this camera is millions of people watching us.’ She really wanted me to be the perfect husband.”

Kevin revealed that their first paycheck after they went viral was under $100. But from there, the money grew from “$2,000 to $8,000 to $20,0000 to $100,000 or more per month.” Shari referred to the business with Ruby being considered the CEO while the “kids were all employees.”

Another video showed Ruby trying to record before hearing her family outside the door.

“Hey, I am still recording! Come on!” she yelled in the footage. “Why am I hearing all this noise?”

Seeing a Shift

“We did see changes in the kids accumulating,” Kevin said. “The kids started to complain about everything. It really began to concern Ruby a lot. She would describe it like they were losing their light.”

While on a family trip, Kevin told Chad he was “being terrible,” adding, “The whole reason we are here is because of our job and you guys are acting like this is stupid.”

Ruby was seen in another video telling Chad that everyone gets $10 a video if they help make it. He admitted he struggled with the new normal, telling the doc producers, “It bugged the crap out of me. I hated it. There was a year — or maybe even longer — where I hated her.”

He continued: “But when it came to brand deals and sponsorships, it felt like I was being controlled. I purposely said the wrong lines, and I tried to make her as pissed as she possibly could [be]. I made things hard for her and I don’t know why. I really didn’t like being told what to do.”

Shari had a similar experience. “Our whole schedule revolved around YouTube, and I think that is where I started to have issues,” she explained. “We always had to keep the house clean and we changed all the lightbulbs from a yellow shade to a bright white that made it feel more like a set than a house.”

Pulling Back the Curtain

Before Ruby posted a video in 2020 — which received major backlash — about taking Chad’s bed away, the mother-son relationship went through major challenges. Chad recalled acting out at school, which eventually paved the way for him to get Hildebrandt as his therapist.

YouTube footage that was never added to Ruby’s channel showed her growing frustrated with Chad when he wouldn’t film with her.

“If I am going to let you vlog and if I am going to spend all my time helping you then you are going to help me too,” she snapped at him, to which he replied, “I don’t know what to do.”

Ruby got distracted yelling at her other kids to be quiet before telling Chad, “Be excited to tell them where your name came from, even if you have to fake it. Fake being happy.” He admitted: “I don’t know if I can right now.”

In his own confessional, Kevin was asked about Ruby’s behavior.

“[I didn’t know] to that extent,” he claimed. “But I knew that was how it was modeled for her. Love is obedience but the moment you disobey me, you will fear me.”

Ruby issued an apology to her kids before her 2024 sentencing. “I took from you all that was soft, and safe, and good,” she said in the courtroom. “I took from you your mother. How terrifying this must have been for you. I will never stop crying for hurting your tender souls. You’re so precious to me. I’m sorry.”

Ruby addressed her estranged husband directly as well, adding, “You are the love of my life. The ending of our marriage is a tragedy.”

Attempting to Move On

Shari, who has now become an advocate against family blogging, cut ties with Ruby, saying, “I will never talk to her again — whether she is the most apologetic person or not. That doesn’t change anything for me. We have one childhood and one mom and that was mine.”

Meanwhile, Chad admitted he missed “the mother figure” he had in the past.

“I miss how she used to be when I was very young but I think what she is going through is deserved,” he noted. “I don’t think she should get out until all the kids turn 18. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have love for her.”

Kevin had a similar outlook when it came to his ongoing love for Ruby. “I always loved her,” he admitted, despite currently undergoing divorce proceedings. “The actions that she did are atrocious. But I still feel a longing and I miss her.”

To report child abuse, consult the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Welfare Information Gateway for state-specific reporting phone numbers.