Ruby Franke came into the limelight after she shared her family films on social media platform YouTube. She gained much fame and her subscribers continued to grow to date after she started her family vlog channel, having a growing fame with over 2.4 million subscribers. On the contrary, the family has been going through a tough phase for the last three years.
Kevin Franke got into a marriage relationship with a former YouTube celebrity Ruby Franke. The couple got much fame and popularity on YouTube pertaining to the success of their 8 Passengers vlog channel. Kevin Franke, an assistant civil engineer from Brigham Young University, is a prominent member of the Franke family.
He pursued his education in Civil engineering Magna Cum Laude from Utah State University and was awarded with a Bachelor of Science degree. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Washington before completing his Ph.D. at Brigham Young University. He has been profound in the field of geotechnical-earthquake engineering management for over 7 years.
Why did Ruby and Kevin Divorce?
There are speculations and people are wondering why Ruby and Kevin getting divorced? These speculations were sparked due to the absence of Kevin Franke and his family from social media leading to the news of Chad and Shari breaking off their relationship with the Franke family, and it fueled the divorce story. Ruby and Kevin are very popular and gained limelight on YouTube with their successful channel 8 Passengers over the past few years where they share the films of their 6 kids, Shari, Julie, Abby, Eve, Russel, and Chad.
The couple has not provided any official statement related to their divorce. The speculations sparked after the inactivity of their social media accounts. Moreover, the couple has not announced their break-up news on social media.
How many children do Ruby and Kevin Franke have?
Mormon couple, Ruby and Kevin Franke, gave birth to 6 children named Shari, Chad, Eve, Abby, Russell, and Julie. The family gained much limelight as Kevin and Ruby got featured on the channel 8 Passengers on YouTube with their 6 children, but since the page became inactive, they have refrained from the spotlight. Currently, very little information is available related to Franke’s children, but as per their mother, the children are incredible.
What led to the arrest of Ruby Franke?
Ruby, the wife of popular Kevin Franke, and the co-owner of the YouTube channel 8 Passengers was arrested on 20 August 2023. She is the joint custody with other women alleged of abusing children. Years of parenting criticism and reports of family discord preceded this development. Following his wife Ruby Franke’s arrest on child abuse charges, Kevin Franke is making sure that their six children remain his foremost concern.
The attorney of Kevin Franke, Randy S. Kester, clearly stated that the utmost focus of his client is to secure the children together under the custody of their father. In Ivins, a young child found his way out from Hilderbandt’s residence through a window approaching a neighbor, pleading for food and something to drink. The infant was totally covered in duct tape around their wrists and ankles when they were discovered by Good Samaritan and informed the police officials as they appeared in an emaciated manner and malnourished. The youngster was headed to Saint George Regional Hospital by the police officials as they found the child in a severe condition.
The toddler was kept under medical surveillance by the police officials after deep lacerations appeared on their body after being tied up with rope. In a short time frame, another allegedly malnourished child was discovered and subsequently hospitalized.
Ruby, who will be held in the Washington County jail without bail, opted to stay silent and requested legal representation. Currently, four Franke children remain in the custody of the Department of Child and Family Services.
If it is determined that the injury was intentional, the offender faces a potential sentence of up to 15 years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. Shari, Ruby’s estranged daughter, asserted that they had been attempting to report this to the police and Child Protective Services for years, and she and her family are relieved that justice is finally being served following Ruby’s arrest.
Are there any other controversies surrounding the 8 Passengers channel?
Ruby and Kevin, parents of six children and the founders of the YouTube channel “8 Passengers,” boasting more than 2.4 million subscribers, showcase various aspects of their family life, travels, and challenges on their channel. However, their parenting choices and methods have stirred significant controversy and criticism. Some viewers have accused them of being neglectful, abusive, and irresponsible in their approach to raising their children.
Recently, Ruby faced arrest under suspicion of child abuse. The arrest followed an incident in which one of their children managed to escape from a home where they were allegedly held captive and subjected to malnourishment, supposedly by Ruby and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. The child sought refuge at a neighbor’s house and, along with another child found in a similar condition, was promptly taken to the hospital. Authorities also removed four other children from the residence. Ruby and Jodi were charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse each.
Kevin, reportedly an assistant professor of civil engineering at Brigham Young University, has not been implicated in the case. His attorney stated that his primary focus was on keeping their children together and providing for their care. Kevin has refrained from posting any videos or updates on the “8 Passengers” channel or on his social media accounts since Ruby’s arrest. The future of both the channel and the family remains uncertain at this juncture.
In 2019, Ruby Franke disclosed that she had taken away her son Chad’s bed for seven months as a consequence of his misbehavior. She also admitted to locking his door from the outside and monitoring his phone calls and texts. These actions received severe criticism from many viewers who considered them excessively harsh and abusive.
In 2020, Ruby Franke publicly acknowledged leaving her son Russell unattended in a hot car for over an hour while she went shopping. She explained it as an oversight and claimed he was unharmed, but her negligence and apparent lack of remorse infuriated numerous viewers. Some accused her of exploiting the incident for views and financial gain.
In 2021, Ruby Franke announced her separation from Kevin Franke and his departure from their shared home. While she did not divulge specific details about the cause of their split, she hinted at differences in their parenting styles and the strain of managing a YouTube channel as contributing factors. She also mentioned filing for divorce and their ongoing custody dispute over their children.
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