Hulu’s Chilling Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke
Hulu’s Chilling Docuseries Exposes the Dark Truth
📺 Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke – Hulu’s Chilling Docuseries Exposes the Dark Truth
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🎬 The family vlogger turned convicted child abuser.
👀 The secrets behind one of YouTube’s most controversial parents.
💔 The voices of those who survived it.
Hulu’s Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is the true-crime docuseries everyone is talking about—and for good reason. This three-part documentary pulls back the curtain on one of the most disturbing scandals in the history of family vlogging, featuring exclusive interviews with Ruby Franke’s estranged husband, Kevin Franke, and their two eldest children, Chad and Shari.
But this isn’t just a retelling of events. This docuseries unpacks the full impact of Ruby’s downfall, from her rise to internet fame to her chilling descent into abuse—and how her family is coping in the aftermath.
💡 What really happened inside the Franke household?
💡 How did social media fame contribute to this nightmare?
💡 And what does this mean for family influencers moving forward?
Let’s break down Devil in the Family and why it’s one of the most important true-crime releases of the year. 🔎
📽️ The Docuseries Breakdown: What You’ll See in Devil in the Family
Each episode of Devil in the Family unravels a different piece of the puzzle, showing how Ruby Franke transformed from a beloved “super mom” to a convicted criminal.
📌 Episode 1: The Rise of 8 Passengers
👨👩👧👦 The perfect YouTube family—or so it seemed.
Hulu kicks things off by showing the golden days of 8 Passengers—the YouTube channel that made the Franke family household names in the family vlogging world.
🔹 Millions tuned in to watch Ruby and Kevin Franke raise their six children with a strict but seemingly loving approach.
🔹 Viewers admired their wholesome, faith-based content, believing Ruby to be the epitome of responsible parenting.
🔹 But red flags were there from the beginning—from punishments that seemed overly harsh to a controlling, authoritarian dynamic.
📢 Interviews with longtime fans and parenting experts highlight how family vlogging can blur the lines between content creation and responsible parenting.
📌 Episode 2: Jodi Hildebrandt & The Breaking Point
😨 The woman who took Ruby’s parenting to the extreme.
As Ruby’s parenting methods became more extreme, one name kept coming up—Jodi Hildebrandt.
🔸 Devil in the Family dives deep into Hildebrandt’s background as a family therapist with a dangerous philosophy.
🔸 Ruby and Jodi’s partnership in the "ConneXions" coaching program is examined, showing how their teachings encouraged emotional and physical isolation as forms of control.
🔸 Kevin Franke, for the first time on camera, speaks about his growing concern over Ruby’s increasing rigidity and Jodi’s influence.
📢 This episode takes a chilling look at how cult-like beliefs can manipulate individuals into justifying abuse.
📌 Episode 3: The Escape & Fallout
🚨 The 911 call that changed everything.
The final episode focuses on the horrifying events of August 2023, when Ruby’s 12-year-old son escaped from Jodi Hildebrandt’s home in a state of severe malnutrition and physical abuse.
🔺 Never-before-seen police footage and first-hand accounts reveal the shocking condition of the child who exposed the abuse.
🔺 Chad and Shari Franke share their personal experiences of growing up under Ruby’s rule and why they tried to warn the public years before the arrest.
🔺 Kevin Franke reflects on his attempts to regain custody of his remaining children and the long-term emotional scars left by the ordeal.
📢 This emotionally charged episode forces viewers to confront the long-term effects of abuse—and what justice really looks like.
👀 What Devil in the Family Means for the Franke Family
This docuseries isn’t just a shocking exposé—it’s a raw, unfiltered look at the survivors left picking up the pieces.
💬 Kevin Franke: "I didn’t see it happening in real-time. But looking back, I should have done more."
💬 Shari Franke: "My siblings deserved better. I’m telling my story so they never have to relive this again."
💬 Chad Franke: "People saw the warning signs. We were screaming for help."
🛑 How does a family recover from something like this? Devil in the Family doesn’t sugarcoat the reality—the Frankes are still struggling to heal.
🚨 Why Devil in the Family is a Must-Watch
🧐 It exposes the dark side of family vlogging.
💡 It raises important questions about online child exploitation.
🚸 It reminds us that social media is not always reality.
With the growing influence of YouTube families, Devil in the Family forces us to rethink the ethics of monetizing children’s lives—and what happens when the desire for content overshadows their well-being.
🔥 Final Thoughts: A Documentary That Stays With You
Hulu’s Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is more than just a true-crime story. It’s a powerful, haunting documentary that shines a light on the dangers of blind trust, online personas, and extreme parenting gone horribly wrong.
📺 Streaming now on Hulu—don’t miss it.
💬 What are YOUR thoughts? Did you ever watch 8 Passengers? Drop a comment below! 👇