Who Is Ruby Franke’s Estranged Husband? Everything Regarding Kevin Franke

In November 2023, following Ruby Franke’s accusations of child abuse, Kevin Franke filed for divorce.

Who Is Ruby Franke’s Estranged Husband?

Kevin Franke, Ruby Franke’s estranged husband, is making a statement. Attorney Randy Kester, representing Kevin, discussed the former Social Media vlogger’s sentencing with Law & Crime just before she was sentenced to 4 to 60 years in jail for child abuse on February 20, 2024.

According to Kester, the newspaper, these kids suffered horrifying and terrible physical and psychological abuse at the hands of someone they should have been able to trust. Kevin is still committed to helping these adorable and defenseless kids return to their regular lives as quickly as possible.

The couple rose to fame because of their “8Passengers” Social Media channel, which showed off their severe parenting methods with their six children.

Later, doubters were alarmed by the family’s story and expressed concerns about the rigid home life of the Mormon family. Around 2020, a petition on the internet demanded that child services look into Ruby’s severe parenting methods, which sparked controversy.

Roby ceased contributing to 8Passengers in 2022 and started listening to Jodi Hildebrandt’s “ConneXions” podcast with her former business partner and therapist. Hildebrandt and Ruby were both placed under arrest in August of 2023.

Following four convictions each for severe child abuse, Ruby and Hildebrandt received jail sentences in back-to-back sessions on February 20.

Channels reported that the inmates received four separate jail sentences, each lasting between one and fifteen years and to be served consecutively. According to Utah’s Deseret News, the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will ultimately determine the duration of each jail sentence. However, according to Business Insider, a Utah statute about consecutive sentences means that the ladies won’t spend longer than 30 years.

Ruby says Hildebrandt ordered the mistreatment. In a 10-page plea deal that Channel examined, she acknowledged that she had kicked her son, Russell, submerged his head and covered his mouth and nose with her hands to prevent him from breathing.

Kevin Shares Six Children with Ruby:

Kevin and Ruby are parents to six children: Eve, Russell, Julie, Chad, Abby, and Shari. Their now-defunct 8Passengers Social Media channel featured their children between 10 and 20.

After Ruby’s arrest in August 2023, four of their children were placed into the custody of Child Protective Services. Shari, her oldest and estranged daughter, rejoiced when the police arrived at the family’s house.

Shari posted a picture of the cops at the residence on the platform along with the words, “Finally.” “It’s been an exciting day,” Shari posted to Social Media. “My family and I are so happy that justice is being done. We’re happy that the police and CPS finally took action after years of our attempts to inform them of this.”

In 2015, Ruby and Kevin started posting vlogs on their now-deleted 8Passengers Social Media channel, chronicling their life as parents to six kids. Before it was taken down, Insider claimed that it had accumulated around 2.5 million followers.

8Eventually, in 2020, passengers came under investigation as followers started to worry about the rigid home of the Mormon family. An internet petition urging child protective services to look into the Franke family was signed by many people.

According to Today, Kevin appeared in many Social Media videos, one of which claimed that he “supported the decision to send their son, then 14 years old, to the Anasazi Foundation Wilderness Therapy Program.”

In the video, Kevin stated, “Mental health professionals have counseled us to do the things that many of you are criticizing or calling abusive.”

In the end, following Ruby’s arrest, Social Media removed 8Passengers.

In September 2023, Randy Kester, Kevin’s attorney, stated to Today that his client and his spouse had been apart “at Ruby’s directive” for almost a year and a half. Additionally, he said, “Kevin did not want to be separated.”

“He wanted to work through concerns as a family,” Kester clarified. There was never a formal, documented separation agreement or decision of separate maintenance. Ruby and Jodi Hildebrandt prescribed the terms for the separation.”

Hildebrandt started providing marriage therapy to Ruby and Kevin in 2021. In 2012, Hildebrandt—who was divorced and alienated from her own two children—founded the therapeutic group ConneXions.

Hildebrandt provided parenting and marriage therapy to help people “dispose of distortion’s ugly lies to live in Truth, connection, and freedom.” Her website promised to “help you flourish in your relationships.”

Hildebrandt recommended that the pair split up to save their marriage throughout therapy, Kester had previously informed Channel. At Hildebrandt’s request, Kevin moved out, filed for divorce, and ceased communicating with his family.

Ruby was Arrested:

After two of Franke’s children were reportedly discovered “emaciated and malnourished” in Hildebrandt’s house in Ivins, Utah, on August 30, 2023, Ruby and Hildebrandt were taken into custody and charged with many charges of child abuse, according to authorities at the time.

Ruby and Kevin have six children together, yet Kevin has never been accused of a crime.

In September 2023, Kevin’s attorney, Kester, spoke with Good Morning America and characterized his client as a “very gentle” individual who did not mistreat his children. According to Kester, no one has ever accused him of physically abusing the children or anybody else.

That same month, Kester told Today that Kevin was attempting to rebuild his ties with his kids.

He told the site that instead of hurling insults and pointing fingers, [Kevin] attempts to mend and forge these connections. At this point, he is just concerned with doing what is best for his children, even if it requires some reflection.

He Filed for Divorce in November 2023:

Despite reports that they had been apart for more than a year due to “Ruby’s directive,” Kevin filed for divorce from his spouse in November 2023. The application was made months after Ruby was initially accused of criminal child abuse.

Kevin filed a secret divorce suit in Utah, according to court documents examined by Channel. According to the court filing, a domestic relations injunction was also issued, directing Ruby and Kevin not to criticize or harass one another in front of their children.