Prior to 2023, Ruby Franke was known for the “8 Passengers” YouTube channel she ran to document her family’s life. The channel had over two million subscribers and featured family lifestyle content that was often controversial. However, in August 2023, Franke was arrested after police found evidence of child abuse in the Franke home. Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse and received four separate prison sentences, according to Jan. 7 reporting done by NBC News. Franke’s partner-in-the-abuse, Jodi Hildebrandt, received the same sentence.
As a result of these events, Ruby Franke’s six children were left reeling from the traumatic abuse they faced. Shari Franke, the oldest of the six, is now opening up about her experiences in a new memoir, “The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom.”
“I don’t come today as the daughter of a felon, nor a victim of an abnormally abusive mother,” Shari Franke said as part of her testimony to protect child influencers in an Oct. 21 Newsweek article. “I come today as a victim of family vlogging.”
Her book delves into the abuse Shari faced before Hildebrandt came into the Franke’s lives and how the abuse changed to be more psychologically damaging when Hildebrandt began helping Ruby Franke. It also looks into how the Frank family’s public image played into the abuse, as Ruby Franke would make her children do certain things to attract views for their YouTube channel. Ruby Franke’s harsh punishments were also featured on the channel, such as taking away her children’s food or their beds.
According to a Jan. 9 USA Today article, Shari Franke’s memoir reads as a collection of memories and journal entries that bring light to the horrors faced in her family. The book was released on Jan. 7 and does not shy away from the truth of what she and her family faced. Shari Franke’s memoir is a powerful way of sharing her experiences and learning to heal from what she went through.
Photo credit: “Youtube” by Oejitv is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
