The estranged husband of Ruby Franke, the famous YouTuber who pled guilty to child abuse, has finally spoken out. Ruby grew a following after posting family vlogs and mommy influencer content while hiding her true image.
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Kevin Franke First Believed Wife's Crimes To Be "Outlandish"
Since the police got involved in August 2023 when her abused son escaped their house, her 8 Passengers YouTube channel was no more. She was since arrested after neighbors found the 12-year-old boy "emaciated" with "tape around his legs."
The authorities also found his 10-year-old sister in a similar condition when they searched the home. Proof of Ruby's actions was hidden in plain sight. Old videos showed her punishing her children by withholding them food. Another revealed that she forced one of her sons to sleep on a bean bag chair for seven months.
The children's father Kevin Franke spoke to ABC News about the horrors Ruby hid behind a seemingly normal life. Their eldest son, Chad, also joined in the exclusive interview. "It was so outlandish to me that it had to have been fabricated," Kevin said when recalling the moment he discovered the truth.
Kevin recalled them feeling like an average family before Ruby's rise to fame on YouTube. Chad even remembered having "very fond memories" when he was a young child. The two believed it started getting bad when companies began to offer money and opportunities to Ruby.
ABC News then showed a clip of Ruby scolding her son by telling him to "fake being happy" even if he wasn't. "I don't know if I can right now," the young Chad said while avoiding looking at the camera.
Ruby Franke's Husband Describes How Family Fell Apart
The family dynamics truly shifted when Ruby hired Jodi Hildebrandt, a 55-year-old therapist and YouTuber. Kevin described her as being very "authoritative" and "firm" when working with the family. He thought it was the "perfect fit" at the time but was surprised when Jodi began to focus more on the married couple.
When asked by the interviewer if he felt brainwashed by her, Kevin felt that she used him. "She took control of something that was very, very important to me. My marriage, my family, and she used those like a carrot on a stick."
Kevin then reported that Jodi and Ruby convinced him to move out and cut contact with the family. Why? To "work on his addiction to selfishness." The husband then blamed his actions on deciding to "trust a licensed professional mental health counselor."
Despite admitting to still loving her, he doesn't want to let her back into his or his children's lives. "I have regrets and I wish that I hadn't done those things," he added.
Since the arrest in 2023, both Ruby and Jodi pled guilty to four counts of child abuse to Ruby's youngest kids. These verdicts could lead the two to 30 years in prison.
This ABC interview comes just a few days before Hulu releases a crime docuseries on the incident. Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke premieres on Thursday, February 27 for Hulu subscribers.
