Everyone watched the downfall of the "perfect" Mormon mom in real-time. It started with a 12-year-old boy climbing out of a window in Ivins, Utah, with duct tape on his ankles. That single moment shattered the curated, beige-toned world of the 8 Passengers YouTube channel. Now, with the release of the Lifetime movie Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story, everyone is talking about it again. But honestly? The movie barely scratches the surface of the psychological horror that actually went down in that desert home.
You’ve probably seen the headlines. Ruby Franke and her "life coach" Jodi Hildebrandt are currently sitting in the Utah State Correctional Facility. They’re serving four consecutive terms of 1 to 15 years. Because of Utah sentencing caps, they’ll likely serve a maximum of 30 years total.
But why did it happen? How does a woman with 2.5 million followers, who lectured others on "truth," end up starving her own "six little chicks"?
The Ruby Franke Story: Lifetime Drama or Documentary Horror?
Lifetime’s take stars Emilie Ullerup as Ruby and Heather Locklear as the chilling Jodi Hildebrandt. It’s dramatic. It’s heavy. But when you look at the actual police evidence released in 2024 and the documentary Evil Influencer that hit Netflix in late 2025, the reality is much grimmer than a TV movie can portray.
Basically, Ruby didn’t just snap. It was a slow-motion car crash that started years earlier.
The Ruby Franke story Lifetime movie focuses heavily on the influence of ConneXions, the "parenting" group run by Hildebrandt. In real life, Jodi Hildebrandt was a licensed therapist whose license was eventually revoked. She had a history of "shaming" patients and disclosing private information to church leaders. By the time she met Ruby, she was preaching a radical, extremist version of Mormonism that viewed children as "possessed" if they didn't comply perfectly.
What the Movie Got Right (and What it Missed)
The film captures the isolation. That’s a huge part of this. Ruby moved into Jodi’s $5 million mansion, leaving her husband, Kevin, and her older children behind. She became convinced that her youngest kids were "Satanic."
- The Journal Entries: The movie touches on this, but the real-life journals are terrifying. Ruby wrote about her children "slithering" like snakes. She genuinely believed she was "saving" their souls by denying them food and water.
- The Torture: The 12-year-old boy was forced to do manual labor in the Utah sun without shoes. When he tried to drink water without permission, he was punished. He had "sloughing skin" from sunburns.
- The Cayenne Pepper: This sounds like a horror movie trope, but it’s in the court documents. They used a mixture of cayenne pepper and honey to "treat" the wounds caused by handcuffs and duct tape.
It wasn't just "strict parenting." It was a concentration camp-like environment in the middle of a luxury suburb.
Where is the Franke Family in 2026?
A lot has changed since the arrests in August 2023. If you’re looking for a happy ending, it’s complicated.
Kevin Franke filed for divorce shortly after the arrest. That split was finalized in March 2025. According to recent reports, Kevin has actually remarried a woman named Becca Bevan. His eldest daughter, Shari, even posted photos of the wedding in late 2025, saying it was "amazing" to see her dad move on.
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Shari Franke has become a powerhouse in her own right. She released a memoir titled The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom. In it, she reveals that the abuse didn't start with Jodi Hildebrandt. She describes Ruby being "really physical" as far back as when Shari was five years old. Slaps to the face during piano practice were common.
Honestly, it makes you realize that Jodi didn't "create" the monster; she just gave Ruby the "religious permission" to let it out.
The Kids are Healing
The four youngest children are currently in Kevin’s custody. The local district attorney, Eric Clarke, gave an update recently saying the kids have put on weight and are "light-years better."
The youngest daughter, Eve, even spoke to Utah lawmakers in late 2024. She’s only 12 now, but she’s already advocating for laws to protect "child influencers." She told the committee, "Kids deserve to be loved, not used by the ones that are supposed to love them the most." It’s heartbreaking, but her strength is incredible.
Why This Case Still Haunts Us
The Ruby Franke story Lifetime movie is popular because it taps into a deep-seated fear: that the people we trust online aren't who they say they are.
We watched the "8 Passengers" videos for years. We saw the "strict" punishments—like taking away a child’s bed for seven months because he played a prank. People called CPS back in 2020. They visited the house 15 times! But because the kids were well-dressed and the house was clean, nothing happened.
It’s a massive failure of the system.
The Legal Legacy
Because of this case, Utah passed Bill SB24 in early 2025. It specifically targets "child torture" and mandates much harsher sentences. If Ruby were tried today under this new law, she could be facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.
As for Ruby herself? She’s reportedly taking college classes through Salt Lake Community College while in prison. She writes letters to Kevin that he doesn't answer. Her first parole hearing is scheduled for December 2026. The Utah Board of Pardons will have to decide if she’s actually "shed her toxic layers," as she claimed in court, or if she’s still a danger.
Actionable Takeaways for the Digital Age
If there’s anything to learn from the Ruby Franke story Lifetime adaptation and the real-life tragedy, it’s about vigilance.
- Question "Perfect" Narratives: If a family’s life looks too curated on social media, there’s usually a cost. Behind every "aesthetic" vlog is a child who might not want to be on camera.
- Report Early and Often: If you see something that feels wrong—like a child being denied a bed or food as "discipline"—don't just leave a comment. Report it to the platform and local authorities.
- Support Child Privacy Laws: Follow the work of advocates like Shari Franke and organizations that are pushing for "Coogan Laws" for the digital age. Children deserve a right to their own childhoods without it being monetized.
- Vet Your "Gurus": Before following life advice from someone like Jodi Hildebrandt, check their credentials. Real therapy involves transparency, not isolation and shame.
The Ruby Franke case isn't just a "true crime" story to be consumed for entertainment. It's a reminder that the "Truth" Ruby was selling was actually a mask for a very deep, very real darkness. Stay skeptical, and keep an eye out for the kids who can't speak for themselves.
The next big update will come in December 2026, when the parole board decides if Ruby's time behind bars is just beginning or coming to an early end. Until then, the Franke children are busy doing something they weren't allowed to do for years: just being kids.
Next Steps for Readers:
- Search for Utah Bill SB24 to understand the new legal protections for children in the state.
- Follow Shari Franke’s advocacy work on social media to see how the family is reclaiming their narrative.
- Review the 2024 police evidence release if you want to see the primary documents that contradict the "polished" version of this story.