DISGRACED blogger Ruby Franke’s eldest daughter has made a desperate cry for change after her mom cashed in her childhood for subscribers.
It’s been over one year since Franke was arrested after her then-12-year-old son broke his duct tape shackles, escaped their home, and begged neighbors to give him water.
Disgraced mommy blogger Ruby Franke, seen in December 2023 in a Utah courtroom, is serving prison time for abusing her youngest two children[/caption]
Her eldest child Shari, 21, has pleaded with lawmakers to protect children whose lives are shared with the internet[/caption]
Jodi Hildebrandt, Franke’s business partner, was also sentenced for abusing the blogger’s children[/caption]
Shari Franke, 21, has been outspoken about her life being raised by devout Mormon mom Franke, who is serving up to 30 years in prison for hitting, starving, and chaining up her two youngest children.
She’s posted heartbreaking messages on Instagram after her mom was arrested, and is releasing a tell-all memoir, The House of My Mother, that explores her “quest for freedom” in the face of adversity.
On October 16, Shari delivered a powerful speech in a meeting with the Utah House of Representatives and begged for her story to be a catalyst for change.
“I don’t come today as the daughter of a felon, nor a victim of an abnormally abusive mother,” she said.
“I come today as a victim of family vlogging.”
“When children become stars in their family’s online content, they become child influencers,” said Shari.
“It is more than just filming your family life and putting it online.
“It is a full-time job with employees, business credit cards, managers, and marketing strategies.”
The college student argued that children in vlogging families should be treated like business employees, much like child actors.
This idea has already been made a law in states like California, where family bloggers are required to set aside some of their earnings and create a trust for their kids.
Shari said she knew full well how her mom’s Channel 8 Passengers made money, and she had to change her attitude so a video would perform better.
This meant allowing her mom to film her as she cried or acting extra bubbly and happy even when she wasn’t.
“I want to be clear that there is never, never a good reason for posting your children online for money or fame,” she told lawmakers.
“There is no such thing as a moral or ethical family vlogger.
“The camera never stops, and there is no such thing as a vacation from filming.”
Franke’s horrific punishments for children
Starting in May 2023, disgraced YouTuber Ruby Franke journaled about the punishments she imposed on her children.
She appeared to justify the abuse by referring to “Satanic choices” and “the devil’s” influences on her kids’ actions.
Some of the horrific punishments detailed in the journal include:
- Poking her children with cactus needles
- Pouring cold water on the kids
- Whipping with a towel or belt
- Forcing them to stand in the hot sun
- Forcibly dunking her son in the pool
- Forcing them to sleep on the ground
- Restricting food
HAUNTING HISTORY
Franke filmed Shari and her five brothers and sisters for her now-eerie YouTube channel, which amassed 2.5 million subscribers for showing idyllic family content.
However, fans grew concerned for the kids’ wellbeing after they noticed Franke’s strict parenting take a sharp turn.
At one point, Franke refused to feed her five-year-old daughter lunch because she forgot to pack it before school, prompting some viewers to contact the police and investigate the mom.
In the summer of 2023, Franke moved to St. George, Utah, about an hour and 45 minutes east of Las Vegas, with her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, and the two started inflicting horrific abuse on her two youngest kids.
In religious ravings found in her diary, Franke admitted to holding her son’s head underwater, shoving him into a cactus, and chaining him up with duct tape when he tried to run away.
Her youngest daughter was spared from such harsh punishments but still had to work barefoot outdoors with no sun protection and was denied meals.
In December, Franke and Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse, and Franke gave an emotional apology to her family at her sentencing.
“I will never stop crying for hurting your tender souls,” she told her children in court.
“I’m sorry for twisting God’s words and distorting his doctrine.
“My willingness to sacrifice all for you was masterfully manipulated into something very ugly. I took from you all that was soft and safe and good.
“I am willing to serve a prison sentence as long as it takes to unravel what I believed.”
Franke’s story is being retold in a new Lifetime movie Mormon Mom Gone Wrong, which premieres on Saturday.
The film was slammed by Shari, who said it gave her an instant anxiety attack.
“None of us were contacted about the movie. None of the proceeds are going to the kids,” she said on Instagram.
“This movie is trash and only hurts my siblings more.
“Please do not support this movie.”
Franke, her estranged husband Kevin, and their six children smile for a picture[/caption]
The Lifetime movie Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story premieres on Saturday[/caption]
