Four of Ruby Franke's Children Are Minors — Their Father Is Hoping to Get Them Back

In 2015, Ruby Franke and her husband Kevin started a YouTube channel called 8 Passengers. It documented their chaotic home, which included the two adults as well as six children. It eventually grew to an impressive 2.5 million followers and probably would have continued in that trajectory if it didn't devolve into something sinister.

Fans started pointing out some of Ruby's questionable behavior, such as the time she made her son Chad sleep on a bean bag for seven months because he pulled a prank on his sibling. That was just the tip of the iceberg, but things got worse when the couple found a therapist for Chad named Jodi Hildebrandt. Soon, Kevin moved out, and Ruby took the kids to Jodi's house. That's when the abuse got worse. Who has custody of Ruby Franke's children now? Here's what we know.

In February 2024, both Ruby and Hildebrandt were sentenced to four consecutive prison terms which range from one to 15 years each. They will serve anywhere between four and 60 years behind bars. Four of Ruby and Kevin's six kids, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve, are minors. According to Newsweek, they have been placed in state protective custody while Kevin is seeking custody.

The Frankes' two oldest children, Shari and Chad, were part of a Hulu documentary titled Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke. In it, Shari describes watching her mother cry as she was being sentenced. The oldest Franke didn't feel much for her. "I personally have seen too many crocodile tears from her, and so I can't say whether she is sorry," said Shari.

In 2025, Shari will graduate from Brigham Young University with a degree in political science. She has already written a memoir and speaks about the dangers of family vlogging. Shari is also engaged and announced this via an Instagram post where she said she will not be sharing any of her private life on social media.

Chad is a realtor who shared in an Instagram post that he loves doing the because he gets to know people personally. According to his Snapchat, Chad lives in Springville, Utah with his girlfriend Kamy. Chad is also featured in the documentary, a decision that was made because he and Shari are the only kids over the age of 18. He talks about how manipulative Hildebrandt was, as noted by the fact that she convinced Kevin to move out. Chad went with him.

Kevin and Ruby are divorced, though he recently told People he was "ashamed to say that after being married over 20 years to that woman, I truly did and still do love her." He was quick to add that his feelings do not excuse what she did. "I'm going to do what's best for my children, for my family, and for myself, and that's not going to include her," said Kevin. He is primarily focused on mending his relationship with his kids and is no longer communicating with Ruby.