In the 2010s, YouTube’s popularity was on the rise. Among the heaps of music videos, microcelebrities, and DIY channels, the trend of family vlogging began to take over the site by storm — one of which was the popular channel 8 Passengers. At the time, 8 Passengers was most known for their wholesome and relatable content following the Franke family of eight as Ruby Franke, her husband Kevin, and her six children portrayed an idealized family life that resonated with audiences.
Like many, I remember eagerly tuning in every week, captivated by the seemingly fun dynamics. However, as I grew up, YouTube fizzled out of my daily routine, and 8 Passengers was no longer a staple on my screen. Over time, whispers of Ruby’s questionable parenting tactics surfaced, but I dismissed them, assuming the internet was blowing things out of proportion. I never imagined the reality behind the scenes could be far worse than anyone suspected.
Years after I stopped my adoration for the family, hearing the news of Ruby’s arrest in 2023 for child abuse was shocking for me and other retired fans. Shortly after her, a documentary emerged — The Devil In the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, where Kevin, the two eldest, Shari and Chad, and other members of their community unravel the morbid truth behind the once idolized family matriarch.
Yet, even with their accounts, lingering questions and suspicions remain. Let’s unpack the documentary and the ongoing debates around the 8 Passengers scandal.
- Episode one
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The first episode introduced the Franke family and the beginnings of the channel. Kevin, Shari, and Chad shared memories of the early years before fame escalated. Once money and validation became involved and the 8 Passengers channel gained traction, Ruby began to consume her family by filming and controlling every aspect of their lives in an attempt to maintain the upkeep of their growing popularity. This is, unfortunately, a common reality of family-style vlogging.
In the midst of struggling to keep their family life intact both on and off screen, the parents sought external guidance. This led them to seek out efforts from Jodi Hildebrant, a therapist well-known in their community. Hildebrandt’s servicers were initially meant to help counsel Chad, the eldest son, who was growing defiant with the family channel, but her guidance eventually grew to manipulative control over the rest of the family.
As the episode unfolded, viewers began to question the rate at which the situation escalated. Chad and Kevin continue to praise the woman Ruby once was, while Shari suggests the abuse began long before Hildebrandt’s influence. Signs were present in early videos, including Ruby depriving her children of basic needs such as food, privacy, and even a bed. The episode raised critical questions for viewers: At what point could Ruby blame her actions on manipulation from Hildebrandt? When does strict parenting cross the line into abuse?
- Episode two
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Following the previous episode introducing the family’s introduction with stardom and involvement with Hildebrandt, Episode Two focused more on the toxic relationship forming between Hildebrandt and the Frankes. This episode highlighted Hildebrandt’s manipulation and brainwashing of both the Franke family and their surrounding community.
As she became more involved in the family dynamics, the parenting, and their Mormon faith, Hildebrandt’s influence grew. Consequently, the Franke family became fully immersed in the teachings of Hildebrant, leaning away from 8 Passengers and towards ConneXions.
ConneXions was a coaching community started by Hildebrandt to preach her dismissive and falsifying teachings of practicing “better life paths” and adopting toxic relationships with the Christian faith. It was through the Frankes’ involvement with ConneXions that boundaries within the family’s relationship with Hildebrandt became weird, with Hildebrandt even moving in with the family as their relations deepened.
Claiming to be bestowed by holy spirits, Hildebrandt’s manipulative control on the family extended to the point of convincing Ruby that her husband and youngest children had been possessed by demons and evil omnipotent powers. As crazy as it sounds, Ruby had fully believed this to the point where she began to cut out the rest of her family, kicking her husband and eldest children out of their home with no contact.
After this, Hildebrandt and Ruby ran the house alone, a duo who believed God was within them, and they were fulfilling their duties.
Despite the evident cult-like mental control, many viewers struggled to understand how the family so easily fell into Hildebrandt’s trap. While details of Ruby and Hildebrandt’s speculated romantic relationship were dismissed, Ruby’s need for validation, her susceptible personality, and deeply ingrained faith provided some explanation. Still, viewers were most concerned about Kevin. Many questioned his innocence: Why did Kevin so easily leave his children for a year? What abuse did he witness and ignore? What exactly did he know — or not know?
- Episode three
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The final episode revealed the full extent of the abuse leading to Ruby’s eventual arrest. After Hildebrandt gained complete control of the Franke household, Ruby and the two youngest children moved into the Hildebrandt home.
As uncovered in the previous episode, Ruby was made to believe her two youngest children were possessed by demonic entities, driving the matriarch to abuse them as a means to “exile” their possessions. She kept her two children in Hildebrandt’s home and subjected them to awful conditions involving severe inflicted injury, malnourishment, and complete neglect and deprivation of basic needs.
While Ruby and Hildebrandt were sentenced to prison for four counts of felony child abuse, the rest of the family remained in denial. Despite the trauma, interviews with Kevin, Shari, and Chad suggested they are healing and out for justice regarding family vlogging.
Although the final episode tied the story together, many questions remained. Why were the middle two children not mentioned at all? The episode hinted that those exiled are now in a better place, but what about the children who endured it all? Details about the youngest children are scarce — likely for legal reasons — yet there’s no clear confirmation that they are safe and recovering following their rescue.
The 8 Passengers situation is a devastating reminder that appearances can be deceiving. What seemed like a wholesome family vlog concealed a reality far darker than viewers ever imagined. The documentary exposes the truth, yet leaves lingering questions that may never be fully answered.