- Ruby Franke’s sisters share new statements about the child-abuse allegations she is facing.
- Julie Deru and Bonnie Hoellein reveal they have had no contact with their sister for years.
- In their statements, Deru and Hoellein describe Jodi Hildebrandt as “weird” and hold Kevin Franke responsible for not intervening.
Ruby Franke’s sisters have publicly addressed Franke’s involvement with Jodi Hildebrandt, expressing their long-standing discomfort.
One of the sisters states that the family did everything within their power to intervene before Franke’s arrest on child-abuse charges, primarily holding Franke’s husband Kevin responsible for not taking enough action.
On Wednesday, Julie Deru and Bonnie Hoellein, popular YouTubers in their own right, posted videos discussing their sister’s situation. Franke was arrested on August 30.
Franke, known for her parenting YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which she co-created with Kevin, documenting their life with their six children. Deru and Hoellein also have family vlogging channels and used to collaborate with the Frankes.
Earlier this year, 8 Passengers went inactive, and Franke transitioned to assisting Hildebrandt’s family-counseling channel, ConneXions.
Both Franke and Hildebrandt have been arrested and currently face six felony counts of child abuse. The arrests followed reports of emaciated and injured children escaping Hildebrandt’s home and seeking help, as documented in court records seen by Insider.
In a recent five-minute video, Deru discusses the post-arrest period, describing it as “extremely hard.” While she doesn’t provide explicit details, she shed some light on the family’s perception of Hildebrandt and ConneXions.
Deru says, “We always found this Jodi lady to be strange. We felt uncomfortable about it. We didn’t approve of the teachings Ruby brought from ConneXions to our family gatherings. We were on the verge of telling her that if she continued attending, we didn’t want to hear what she learned from ConneXions because we disliked it.”
Deru reveals that Franke cut off contact with the family three years ago and they haven’t heard from her since. Franke never disclosed the reason for the estrangement, but she did have a heated 45-minute phone call with their mother. Deru believes that Franke may have fabricated childhood memories and exaggerated the past.
Deru expresses shock at the charges Franke is now facing and clarifies that the family has refrained from creating content about Franke and her children out of respect for their privacy. She didn’t want to risk the children watching videos that could tarnish their perception of their mother.
In another video, Hoellein echoes Deru’s sentiments about Franke and her family, titling the video “I am not my sister. I am not my Sister’s Crimes.”
Hoellein appears more emotional in her video, expressing anger and disgust at her sister’s alleged actions. Like Deru, she acknowledges their silence regarding Franke, stating that it stemmed from a lack of knowledge about the situation.
She says, “I knew things were off. I sensed something was wrong. We kept our concerns private because what could I say? How could I address it? I wasn’t going to publicly declare that I dislike my sister and her behavior, and that I find her strange.”
Hoellein reveals that she reconnected with Franke’s eldest daughter, Shari, last year. Shari cut off contact with her parents when they became heavily involved with ConneXions.
She describes the family’s efforts behind the scenes, affirming that they did everything possible within the law to ensure the safety of Franke’s children prior to her arrest.
Hoellein also emphasizes Kevin’s role in the situation, stating that he was the one who had the power to take action but failed to do so. The family had no contact with him.
Since Franke’s arrest, Kevin Franke has distanced himself from his wife and her alleged actions. Through his attorney Randy Kester, Kevin has stated that he was “manipulated” by Hildebrandt and identifies her as the catalyst for the breakdown of their marriage and family.
Kester reveals that the couple had been separated for slightly over a year and that Kevin was unaware that his children were living with Hildebrandt.
Hoellein also claims that Hildebrandt and ConneXions have caused considerable damage to their lives, creating turmoil within their family over the past three years.
She states, “Our discussions with them often led us in circles because nothing made sense. Their words and actions were baffling.”
Hoellein expresses her bewilderment at Kevin’s actions during the period of separation, questioning what he was doing while he and Ruby were apart.
She concludes by affirming her commitment to prioritize her family’s well-being.
“I am not my sister. I am not responsible for my sister’s mistakes,” she states.
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