Ruby Franke’s six kids are now living away from her, under their father’s custody or as independent adults, and are reported to be significantly safer and more stable than during the period of abuse and the “8 Passengers” vlog era. Ruby, meanwhile, is in prison on multiple child abuse convictions and is barred from contacting her minor children.

Quick Scoop: What happened

This is a serious case involving child abuse, so the tone here stays careful and factual.

  • Ruby Franke, the “8 Passengers” YouTube mom, was arrested in August 2023 after her 12‑year‑old son escaped a home and asked a neighbor for help, appearing emaciated and injured.
  • Police then found his younger sister in similarly malnourished and wounded condition, leading to multiple aggravated child abuse charges against Ruby and her associate Jodi Hildebrandt.
  • Ruby later pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and received a sentence of 4 to 60 years in prison, capped at no more than 30 years under Utah law.

Where the kids are now

Ruby and her ex‑husband Kevin have six children: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve.

  • After Ruby’s arrest, the four youngest children (Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve) were taken into state protective custody.
  • Kevin Franke later regained sole custody of the four minors, and a judge barred Ruby from any contact with them while she remains incarcerated.
  • Reports from Kevin’s side and later coverage say the kids are “light‑years better,” focusing on healing and rebuilding family relationships away from Ruby and Hildebrandt’s influence.

Individual updates (publicly reported)

These are high‑level summaries from news and docuseries coverage, not private details.

  • Shari (eldest daughter, adult)
    • Cut ties with Ruby and helped alert authorities when things escalated; she has stated she does not plan to have a relationship with her mother.
* Appears to be building an independent life, celebrating “new beginnings” with her dad and siblings and speaking publicly in a recent docuseries about the abuse and family fallout.
  • Chad (eldest son, adult)
    • Also participated in a docuseries, acknowledging abuse in the home and the harmful parenting practices that were once shown on YouTube.
* Has expressed complicated feelings: he still says he has love for Ruby but recognizes the severity of what happened.
  • Abby & Julie (middle daughters, minors at the time)
    • Were not found in the same extreme physical condition as the youngest two when Ruby was arrested, but were still removed from the home and placed in protective custody.
* Now live with their father; coverage frames their situation as focused on recovery, therapy, and a more traditional family life off camera.
  • Russell & Eve (youngest son and daughter)
    • They were the direct victims in the criminal case, discovered malnourished with visible injuries after Russell escaped and sought help.
* Both are now with Kevin and receiving ongoing care and treatment; authorities and family representatives stress privacy for them because of their age and trauma.

Legal status and contact

The legal system has effectively separated Ruby from her kids to protect them.

  • Ruby is serving a multi‑decade sentence in Utah following her guilty plea; her co‑defendant Jodi Hildebrandt is also incarcerated on similar charges.
  • As part of court and juvenile‑court orders, Ruby cannot contact her four minor children, and Kevin holds sole legal custody of them after their divorce was finalized in 2025.
  • The two adult children, Shari and Chad, decide for themselves whether to have contact, but both have publicly described deep emotional distance and a need for boundaries.

Forum and trending angle

This case remains a major trending topic in true‑crime, parenting, and influencer‑culture discussions.

  • Online forums and snark communities have long criticized Ruby’s strict parenting in “8 Passengers,” pointing out red flags years before the arrest.
  • New documentaries and podcasts released through 2024–2025 revisit how extreme “discipline” turned into criminal abuse, and how parasocial audiences and platforms failed to intervene earlier.

Bottom line: Ruby Franke’s kids are physically safer now, living with their father or independently as adults, and are in various stages of recovery and rebuilding their lives away from their mother’s control.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.