Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Ruby and Kevin Franke are officially divorced after a Utah judge signed their agreement.
- Kevin Franke, who was previous given custody of their children, said he would consider any child support owed by Ruby Franke paid.
- Ruby Franke is serving prison time after admitting to abusing the two youngest of their six children.
AMERICAN FORK — Ruby Franke is now officially divorced from her husband, Kevin Franke, after a judge approved terms to which the couple agreed.
The couple was married in 2000 and had six children — highlighted in Ruby Franke's YouTube channel "8 Passengers" which had 2 million subscribers at its height. However, she gained even more notoriety when she was arrested along with Jodi Hildebrandt, her business partner, for the abuse of her youngest children.
Kevin Franke filed for divorce three months after their son climbed out of a window at Hildebrandt's home in Ivins, Washington County, and ran to a neighbor's home asking for food and water. Those neighbors immediately called the police after seeing the boy's condition.
Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke said at Ruby Franke's sentencing that the two youngest Franke children were kept in a "concentration camp-like setting" for months, had extensive injuries and had suffered from emotional abuse.
The divorce decree, as is standard in Utah, said the divorce was due to "irreconcilable differences."
Kevin Franke's attorney submitted his stipulation to the court on March 3, and 4th District Judge Roger Griffin signed a divorce decree for the couple last Thursday.
Based on a previous order from the 4th District Juvenile Court, Kevin Franke was given full custody of the four children who are still minors. Ruby Franke is ordered not to have contact with the children.
Ruby Franke is still serving four sentences of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison for four convictions of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony. She will serve at least four years since the sentences are running consecutively. She admitted to physically torturing her son, forcing him to do physical tasks and holding his head underwater. She also admitted to forcing both her son and daughter to stand in direct sunlight for long periods and denying them adequate water and food.
Kevin Franke agreed to consider any child support payments owed to him by Ruby Franke already paid. The courts typically require child support in cases of full custody.
The couple agreed their Springville home would be transferred to Kevin Franke, along with a 2.8-acre property in Scofield, Carbon County.
Under the divorce agreement, Ruby Franke will keep about $85,000 she withdrew from financial accounts when she stopped living with her husband, but any other financial accounts outside of an investment account under Ruby Franke's name will be given entirely to Kevin Franke.
Neither party asked for alimony from the other, agreeing they each have the resources to care for their needs.
The divorce agreement said Ruby Franke intends to keep the last name of Franke rather than change her name to her maiden name.
Both Franke and Hildebrandt admitted to four charges of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony, under plea deals that dismissed an additional two charges. Both are ordered to between four and 60 years in prison after being sentenced in Utah's 5th District court in early 2024.
At her sentencing, Franke thanked the police for saving her children, saying she gained her freedom when she was put in handcuffs.
"I was so disoriented that I believed dark was light and right was wrong. I would do anything in this world for you," she said regarding the children at the time. "My willingness to sacrifice all for you was masterfully manipulated into something very ugly."
