Ruby Franke’s Prison Call Reveals How She Turned on Jodi Hildebrandt

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Content warning: This story discusses child abuse.

One turning point in Ruby Franke‘s child abuse case has come to light.

Before Ruby’s mother, a former YouTuber, and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, admitted to four counts of seriously abusing children – a crime for which they are now in prison with sentences up to 30 years – Ruby began to question whether Jodi was telling the truth.

A phone call made from jail on December 2, 2023, just two weeks before Ruby Franke pleaded guilty, is featured in Netflix’s new documentary, Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story. In the call, Ruby revealed that being apart from Jodi Hildebrandt since their arrests in August 2023 had changed how she saw things.

That’s when I realized she hadn’t been truthful,” Ruby explained in the recording. Ruby and Jody offered life coaching through their ConneXions channel. “It’s been a really unusual, but incredibly positive, turning point.”

Being away from Jodi and not talking to her has actually helped me gain clarity, she explained. It’s given me space to think things through.

The woman, once popular for vlogging about her family of eight on the now-closed YouTube channel 8 Passengers, has been thinking about how her partner has acted since they were arrested.

During the phone call, Jodi claimed she had no involvement whatsoever. I was really surprised to hear that, and honestly, it’s humiliating to realize how easily I was fooled. I’m just thinking about how much trust I placed in her and how I completely missed the signs.

When Ruby and Jodi were first arrested, she reacted very differently than she did after they were separated and put in different parts of the prison.

In a phone call with her now-ex-husband, Kevin Franke, the day after her arrest, she claimed this was a “witch hunt,” according to a recording released by prosecutors and obtained by People magazine. She went on to say that adults often struggle to grasp that children can be malicious and what it takes to address that behavior, adding that she doesn’t know any adults who will acknowledge this reality.

It just breaks my heart listening to that recording. Poor Jodi—people just didn’t get her, you know? She was always the first to step up and help others, and then they’d turn around and be angry with her. It’s truly awful to think about how unfairly she was treated.

In August 2023, the two business partners were arrested after Ruby’s son fled Jodi’s home in Utah and sought help from a neighbor. Police reported the boy showed signs of malnutrition and had duct tape around his ankles and wrists.

Since Ruby and Jodi were arrested, Ruby’s family, including her daughter Shari Franke, has been publicly sharing their thoughts.

Shari shared on Instagram that her family is relieved justice is finally happening. She explained they’d been trying to alert the police and child protective services for years, and were happy to see action taken. While the children are now safe, she acknowledged there’s still a lot of work to be done.

TopMob News has reached out to Jodi’s lawyer for comment on the phone calls, but hasn’t heard back.

For a closer look at Ruby and Jodi’s case, keep reading.

As a lifestyle expert focused on family well-being, I was deeply saddened to hear about a recent case in Utah. Police responded to a call and discovered a child in truly heartbreaking condition. They described the child as severely malnourished, appearing emaciated with open wounds, and sadly, with duct tape around their arms and legs. Thankfully, the child was immediately taken to the hospital for urgent medical care. It’s a stark reminder of the importance of looking out for vulnerable children and reporting any concerns.

The boy was later identified as the 12-year-old son of YouTuber Ruby Franke, according to court documents obtained by NBC News. He escaped from the home of Ruby’s business partner, Jodi Hildebrant, by climbing out a window and then went to a neighbor’s house to ask for assistance, the documents state.

Officers searched a nearby house and found another child who was also severely malnourished. That child was also taken to the hospital, according to a police statement.

Investigators found Ruby’s nine-year-old daughter hiding, extremely frightened, alone in a closet at Jodi’s house, according to evidence presented by the Washington County Attorney’s Office.

Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah on charges of child abuse. Jodi had previously founded a life coaching business called ConneXions in 2007. Former clients told NBC News they felt the program was similar to a cult and heavily influenced by the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On August 31st, TopMob reported that Shari Franke, Ruby’s adult daughter who is separated from her, responded to the news on her Instagram Story.

Shari, born in 2003, expressed her family’s relief that justice is finally being served. She explained they had been trying to alert the police and child protective services for years, and were grateful for the recent action. While the children are now safe, she acknowledged there is still a lot of work to be done.

Ruby’s sisters—Ellie Mecham, Bonnie Hoellein, and Julie Deru—publicly stated they believed the YouTuber’s arrest was necessary.

We’ve remained silent about Ruby Franke for the past three years to protect her children. We’ve been working behind the scenes to ensure their safety. We feel it’s important to address the recent events before continuing with our usual content, and after that, we won’t be making any further statements about the situation.

The siblings said Ruby’s kids are “now safe, which is the number one priority.”

I still can’t believe it! Ruby Franke, from 8 Passengers, and her business partner, Jodi, have officially been charged – six counts each! Six counts of felony child abuse! The Washington County Attorney in Utah is the one bringing the charges, and honestly, it’s just… devastating. I’ve been following her for years, and to hear this… it’s awful. I just keep replaying everything in my head, trying to understand how it could have gotten to this.

Ruby’s husband, Kevin Franke, has stated he had no part in the crimes she’s accused of. His attorney, Randy Kester, told Good Morning America that the couple had been separated for 13 months before Ruby’s arrest.

Oh my gosh, his lawyer just said the sweetest things! He really is a good person, so incredibly gentle, you guys! And get this – nobody, nobody has ever accused him of hurting those kids, or anyone for that matter! It’s such a relief to hear someone finally say it out loud. I always knew he wasn’t capable of something like that!

Kevin has officially filed for divorce from the social media personality based in Utah, as confirmed by a court document obtained by NBC News.

On December 18th, TopMob reported that Ruby had pleaded guilty to four charges. According to the Associated Press, she expressed her remorse, stating, “With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, guilty.”

Jodi would also plead guilty to four counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse.

Both women received four prison sentences, each lasting between one and fifteen years, to be served one after the other. However, the total time they will serve is limited to a maximum of 30 years, as dictated by Utah law.

The parent vlogger apologized during her sentencing to her six kids and estranged husband.

Ugh, it’s so embarrassing to admit, but for the last four years, I’ve been completely lost. I listened to the wrong people, people who led me down this awful path of… well, I guess you could call it a delusion. It’s like I built this whole world in my head, and it just wasn’t real. The worst part is, I pushed everyone away who tried to tell me that. I just couldn’t let anyone challenge what I thought was true, so I ended up completely alone in it.

She went on to say to her children that they were a piece of her heart. She admitted she’d once confused what was good and bad, right and wrong, all for their sake. She confessed she’d taken away their innocence and security, everything that made their world gentle and safe.

Prosecutors made public disturbing entries from her diary, detailing how she mistreated her children, including her 12-year-old son whom she referred to as “Satanic.”

I’ve been following this case closely, and one entry from July 10th, 2023 – his son’s twelfth birthday – really struck me. She described how he’d quietly look for openings when people weren’t around, then quickly act on them. She also wrote that if he truly wanted to be like the person he admired, he needed complete and unwavering obedience, with no room for bending the rules or keeping secrets.

She wrote about punishing her children by beating them and withholding food and water.

After Ruby’s arrest, prosecutors made public an audio recording of Kevin discussing the limitations he said he experienced while living with her.

Kevin described feeling controlled by Ruby, explaining in an audio clip that she set strict rules for him. He wasn’t allowed to leave or return home without her approval, and even simple things like eating in the kitchen or visiting the upstairs – where Jodi was – required her permission. He felt he wasn’t even allowed to fully use his own home, and Ruby controlled when and how he could interact with others, which he found very difficult.

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2026-01-16 02:18