Ruby Franke: what did she do and is she in jail? Disney Plus show explained

• Disney Plus's latest hit show is about Ruby Franke.
• The documentary topped the streamer’s chart in the UK this weekend.
• But is it based on a true-story?

A shocking true-crime documentary about a popular YouTuber who ended up behind bars has topped the charts on Disney Plus this weekend. The show shot to number one in the UK - above the new series from the mind behind Peaky Blinders.

Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke released on the streaming service last week (February 27). All three episodes are available and have proved a hit with British viewers.

You might be wondering how much of the show is true and what really happened. Here’s all you need to know:

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Who is Ruby Franke and what did she do?

The subject of Disney Plus’ new hit documentary - Devil in the Family - might not be a name you were familiar with before hitting play. Born in the state of Utah in 1982, Ruby Franke shot to fame after starting her YouTube channel 8 Passengers in 2015.

It documented the life of her family - a genre of videos known as family vlogs - and posted around five videos a week. By 2020 it had around 2.5 million subscribers and more than a billion views.

But despite her videos appearing to show a happy family life, it turned out that all was not what it seemed. In August 2023, Ruby Franke was arrested - alongside her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt - and charged with six counts of felony aggravated child abuse.

Viewers began to get concerned with Ruby’s strict methods of parenting as far back as 2020, when one of her kids said that he had been banned from his bedroom and had been sleeping on a bean bag chair for seven months. Her arrest came after then 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s home, appearing emaciated and had open wounds.

Another one of Franke’s children was found malnourished in the house by the authorities. It was later reported by Police, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, that cayenne pepper and honey had been used to dress the boy’s wounds.

She claimed her children were possessed and also made her son work outdoors without adequate protection, leading to him suffering severe sun burns.

Is Ruby Franke in prison?

Following her arrest in August 2023, Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in December of that year. In February of 2024, she was handed four consecutive prison sentences.

She was ordered to serve one to 15 years in prison, Deseret News reported at the time. While the sentences add up to a maximum of 60 years, under Utah law for consecutive prison terms she will only spend as much as 30 years in jail.

Hildebrandt was also handed the same sentence of four consecutive prison terms. Deseret News added: “The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will determine the exact amount of time Franke and Hildebrandt will spend in prison.”

Have you watched Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke? Let me know what you think by email: [email protected].