| Revision as of 17:46, 5 September 2023 editTherangerrick (talk | contribs)57 edits Corrected grammatical issues with career.Tag: Visual edit← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:27, 5 September 2023 edit undoTherangerrick (talk | contribs)57 edits Added Child Abuse Allegations section and cleaned up grammer/sentence structure.Tag: Visual editNext edit → | ||
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| == Career == | == Career == | ||
| Ruby’s YouTube career began in 2015 when she a created a channel under the name of '''''8 Passengers'''''. It frequently featured intimate moments of her family life with her husband, Kevin, and six children in Utah.<ref name=KSL>{{cite news |first=Megan Marsden |last=Christensen |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/38122710 |title=Springville mother documents family life on popular YouTube channel |website=KSL.com |publisher=Deseret Digital Media |date=January 16, 2016 |access-date=September 3, 2023 }}</ref><ref name=WaPo>{{Cite news |last=Ables |first=Kelsey |last2=Bellware |first2=Kim |date=September 1, 2023 |title=What to know about Ruby Franke, parenting YouTuber charged with child abuse |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/01/ruby-franke-youtube-8passengers-child-abuse/ |access-date=September 2, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news |first=Amy Beth |last=Hanson |url=https://apnews.com/article/youtube-mom-parenting-advice-child-abuse-arrest-d011c50c6da8f3535d8dfda46654a50a |title=Parenting advice YouTuber Ruby Franke charged with aggravated child abuse of 2 of her 6 children |publisher=Associated Press |date=September 1, 2023 |access-date=September 3, 2023 }}</ref> The channel amassed nearly 2.5 million subscribers during its operation.<ref name=Biz>{{cite news |first=Lindsay |last=Dodgson |url=https://www.insider.com/8-passengers-youtube-drama-what-happened-franke-family-2020-6 |title=These YouTuber parents are speaking out after drama channels and TikTokers accused them of being abusive to their children and had child protective services visit their house |newspaper=Business Insider |date=June 25, 2020 |access-date=September 3, 2023 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Walrath-Holdridge |first=Mary |date=September 1, 2023 |title=Who is Ruby Franke? 8 Passengers family vlogger arrested on child abuse charges |newspaper=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/31/ruby-franke-8-passengers-vlogger-arrested-child-abuse-charges-daughter-shari-speaks/70730970007/ |access-date=2023-09-02 }}</ref> |
Ruby’s YouTube career began in 2015 when she a created a channel under the name of '''''8 Passengers'''''. It frequently featured intimate moments of her family life with her husband, Kevin, and six children in Utah.<ref name=KSL>{{cite news |first=Megan Marsden |last=Christensen |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/38122710 |title=Springville mother documents family life on popular YouTube channel |website=KSL.com |publisher=Deseret Digital Media |date=January 16, 2016 |access-date=September 3, 2023 }}</ref><ref name=WaPo>{{Cite news |last=Ables |first=Kelsey |last2=Bellware |first2=Kim |date=September 1, 2023 |title=What to know about Ruby Franke, parenting YouTuber charged with child abuse |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/01/ruby-franke-youtube-8passengers-child-abuse/ |access-date=September 2, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news |first=Amy Beth |last=Hanson |url=https://apnews.com/article/youtube-mom-parenting-advice-child-abuse-arrest-d011c50c6da8f3535d8dfda46654a50a |title=Parenting advice YouTuber Ruby Franke charged with aggravated child abuse of 2 of her 6 children |publisher=Associated Press |date=September 1, 2023 |access-date=September 3, 2023 }}</ref> The channel amassed nearly 2.5 million subscribers during its operation.<ref name=Biz>{{cite news |first=Lindsay |last=Dodgson |url=https://www.insider.com/8-passengers-youtube-drama-what-happened-franke-family-2020-6 |title=These YouTuber parents are speaking out after drama channels and TikTokers accused them of being abusive to their children and had child protective services visit their house |newspaper=Business Insider |date=June 25, 2020 |access-date=September 3, 2023 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Walrath-Holdridge |first=Mary |date=September 1, 2023 |title=Who is Ruby Franke? 8 Passengers family vlogger arrested on child abuse charges |newspaper=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/31/ruby-franke-8-passengers-vlogger-arrested-child-abuse-charges-daughter-shari-speaks/70730970007/ |access-date=2023-09-02 }}</ref> | ||
| == Child Abuse Allegations == | |||
| She originally posted five days a week at 6:00 AM.<ref name="KSL" /> Beginning in 2020, when one of Franke's sons said that he had been banned from his bedroom and made to sleep on a ] for seven months, viewers became concerned about Franke's disciplinary methods, which also included ],<ref name="WaPo" /><ref name=":0" /> threatening to behead a ], and telling two children that Santa Claus would not be bringing them anything for Christmas that year because they were too "numb" to respond to other punishments.<ref name="AP" /> A petition was launched reporting perceived child abuse and neglect.<ref name="WaPo" /><ref name="AP" /><ref name=":0" /> Ruby and Kevin Franke posted in defense of the discipline, saying the incidents had been taken out of context.<ref name="Biz" /> ''8 Passengers'' declined in popularity in 2021,<ref name="WaPo" /> and was deactivated in 2023.<ref name="BBC" /> | |||
| Concerns surrounding Ruby and Kevin's parenting methods began in the summer of 2019 when their eldest son, Chad, was visibly absent from the family vlogs. They later revealed in August of that year that Chad had been sent to the in Arizona, a 10-week behavior correctional program for 'troubled youth.' In a video defending their reasoning, the Franke's stated that it was due to an "accumulation of things over the years..." and that Chad had exhibited "behavioral issues" for quite some time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raphael |first=Shannon |date=2020-06-03 |title=Why Are Some Viewers Accusing the Mom From 8 Passengers of Abuse? |url=https://www.distractify.com/p/8-passengers-abuse-controversy |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=Distractify |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
| In May of 2020, Ruby uploaded a video in which Chad had revealed that he had been barred from access to his bedroom due to a prank on his younger brother Russell, and that he had been sleeping on a ] in the family room for "seven months." Not long after, past clips from the '''''8 Passengers''''' channel resurfaced which included Ruby ]<ref name="WaPo" /><ref name=":0" />, threatening to decapitate her youngest daughter's ], and telling two of her children that Santa Claus would not be bringing them anything for Christmas that year because they were "too numb" to other punishments. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| A ] petition was filed on May 31, 2020, in hopes that Utah's Child Protective Services would intervene and open an investigation into the Franke household.<ref name="AP" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Raphael |first=Shannon |date=2020-06-03 |title=Why Are Some Viewers Accusing the Mom From 8 Passengers of Abuse? |url=https://www.distractify.com/p/8-passengers-abuse-controversy |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=Distractify |language=en-US}}</ref> Ruby and Kevin would later go on to post a video to their Instagram page in defense of the discipline, saying that the incidents had been taken out of context.<ref name="Biz" /> | |||
| After significant decline in popularity<ref name="BBC2">{{cite news |date=2023-09-01 |title=Ruby Franke: '8 Passengers' parenting mum arrested on child abuse suspicion |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66651506}}</ref> and multiple allegations of child abuse and neglect, Ruby slowly began to step away from the channel's operation in 2021. The channel was later removed from YouTube's platform sometime in 2023.<ref name="WaPo" /> | |||
| ⚫ | From 2021 to 2023, Franke began working as a mental health coach at ConneXions, a company run by Jodi Nan Hildebrandt, a counselor. They have also appeared in videos together<ref name="NYT" /><ref name="AP" /> and partnered in offering parenting classes.<ref name="WaPo" /> | ||
| == Arrest == | == Arrest == | ||
Revision as of 18:27, 5 September 2023
Family vlogger who ran a YouTube channelRuby Franke (born 1981 or 1982) is a family vlogger who ran the now defunct YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which documented her family life from 2015 to 2021. The channel was later removed from the platform in early 2023.
On August 30, 2023, she was arrested and charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse.
Career
Ruby’s YouTube career began in 2015 when she a created a channel under the name of 8 Passengers. It frequently featured intimate moments of her family life with her husband, Kevin, and six children in Utah. The channel amassed nearly 2.5 million subscribers during its operation.
Child Abuse Allegations
Concerns surrounding Ruby and Kevin's parenting methods began in the summer of 2019 when their eldest son, Chad, was visibly absent from the family vlogs. They later revealed in August of that year that Chad had been sent to the Anasazi Foundation Wilderness Therapy Program in Arizona, a 10-week behavior correctional program for 'troubled youth.' In a video defending their reasoning, the Franke's stated that it was due to an "accumulation of things over the years..." and that Chad had exhibited "behavioral issues" for quite some time.
In May of 2020, Ruby uploaded a video in which Chad had revealed that he had been barred from access to his bedroom due to a prank on his younger brother Russell, and that he had been sleeping on a bean bag in the family room for "seven months." Not long after, past clips from the 8 Passengers channel resurfaced which included Ruby withholding food, threatening to decapitate her youngest daughter's stuffed toy, and telling two of her children that Santa Claus would not be bringing them anything for Christmas that year because they were "too numb" to other punishments.
A Change.org petition was filed on May 31, 2020, in hopes that Utah's Child Protective Services would intervene and open an investigation into the Franke household. Ruby and Kevin would later go on to post a video to their Instagram page in defense of the discipline, saying that the incidents had been taken out of context.
After significant decline in popularity and multiple allegations of child abuse and neglect, Ruby slowly began to step away from the channel's operation in 2021. The channel was later removed from YouTube's platform sometime in 2023.
From 2021 to 2023, Franke began working as a mental health coach at ConneXions, a company run by Jodi Nan Hildebrandt, a counselor. They have also appeared in videos together and partnered in offering parenting classes.
Arrest
On August 30, 2023, Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested in Ivins, Utah, and on September 1 both were charged on six counts of aggravated child abuse. According to a statement from the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department, Franke's 12-year-old son, who appeared emaciated and had "open wounds and duct tape around the extremities", had climbed through a window of Hildebrandt's house and asked at a neighboring house for food and water. Emergency services found Franke's 10-year-old daughter in the house, also malnourished; both children were taken to a hospital, where the boy was treated for severe malnourishment and "deep lacerations from being tied up with rope". A search of the house found evidence "consistent with the markings" on the 12-year-old, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services took the boy and girl and two more of Franke's children into care.
Personal life
The Franke's are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their oldest daughter has stated that she has long disapproved of her mother's parenting strategies. Franke has three sisters who are also parenting influencers.
References
- ^ "Ruby Franke: '8 Passengers' parenting mum arrested on child abuse suspicion". BBC News. September 1, 2023.
- ^ Tumin, Remy (September 1, 2023). "Host of YouTube Parenting Channel Is Charged With Child Abuse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ Christensen, Megan Marsden (January 16, 2016). "Springville mother documents family life on popular YouTube channel". KSL.com. Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Ables, Kelsey; Bellware, Kim (September 1, 2023). "What to know about Ruby Franke, parenting YouTuber charged with child abuse". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ Hanson, Amy Beth (September 1, 2023). "Parenting advice YouTuber Ruby Franke charged with aggravated child abuse of 2 of her 6 children". Associated Press. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Dodgson, Lindsay (June 25, 2020). "These YouTuber parents are speaking out after drama channels and TikTokers accused them of being abusive to their children and had child protective services visit their house". Business Insider. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Walrath-Holdridge, Mary (September 1, 2023). "Who is Ruby Franke? 8 Passengers family vlogger arrested on child abuse charges". USA Today. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- Raphael, Shannon (June 3, 2020). "Why Are Some Viewers Accusing the Mom From 8 Passengers of Abuse?". Distractify. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- Raphael, Shannon (June 3, 2020). "Why Are Some Viewers Accusing the Mom From 8 Passengers of Abuse?". Distractify. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- "Ruby Franke: '8 Passengers' parenting mum arrested on child abuse suspicion". BBC News. September 1, 2023.
- ^ Sole, Elise (September 1, 2023). "YouTuber mom Ruby Franke arrested and charged in child abuse investigation". Today.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.