Ruby Franke’s estranged husband is suing his business partner Jodi Hildebrandt for causing him ‘financial and emotional distress’ by abusing his children, who were starved and tortured in her sick ‘panic room’
Ruby Franke’s estranged husband is suing his business partner Jodi Hildebrandt for allegedly causing him ‘financial and emotional distress’.
Ruby Franke, 42, pleaded guilty in December to four counts of aggravated child abuse and was sentenced in February to up to 30 years in prison.
Franke’s business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, whom she described as her ‘mentor’, received the same sentence.
Prosecutors accused the former business partners of starving and abusing Franke’s own children while dishing out brutal parenting advice on social media.
Franke’s husband Kevin has now filed a lawsuit claiming that he and his children were victims of alleged emotional distress and negligence on the part of Hildebrandt.
Kevin Franke, seen here with his ex-wife Ruby, has filed a lawsuit alleging that he and his children were victims of alleged emotional distress and neglect by Jodi Hildebrandt
Jodi started living with the couple after Kevin and Ruby tried to help her fight ‘evil spirits’ and ‘cast out demons’
Ruby (pictured left), 42, was sentenced in February to up to 30 years in prison for brutally abusing her 12-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter in a ‘concentration camp-like environment’. Jodi (pictured right), 54, was also sentenced to up to 30 years behind bars
KUTV reported that the suit filed by Franke cites ‘intentional infliction of emotional distress’, ‘negligent infliction of emotional distress’ and ‘negligence’.
The complaint alleges that Hildebrandt acted without regard to the likelihood of causing emotional distress to Franke and to each of his children.
It alleges that Franke suffered severe and/or extreme emotional distress caused by her actions.
The case that he has suffered past and future economic and non-economic damages, pain, emotional distress, loss of quality of life and loss of enjoyment of life.
Franke seeks judgment for damages, together with pain and suffering, loss and damage, and all other general damages, as well as costs and attorneys’ fees.
A written statement from Randy Kester, who represents Kevin Franke, on Franke’s behalf, said: ‘This lawsuit marks a significant step in our journey to seek justice for myself and my children against the abuse that Ms. Hildebrandt has applied.
‘Ms. Hildebrandt weaponized his authority and professional training to cause enormous harm and damage to myself, my children and my family.
‘I am committed to doing everything I possibly can to ensure that this dangerous woman can never harm another individual again and to seek the healing and long-term well-being of my children.’
The complaint alleges that Hildebrandt acted without regard to the likelihood of causing emotional distress to Franke and to each of his children. Ruby and Kevin are seen here
Child Protective Services took the two children, along with two older siblings, into custody after arriving at Ruby’s home to arrest her
Defendant Ruby Franke looks on during court Tuesday, February 20, 2024 in St. George, Utah
Defendant Jodi Hildebrandt looks on during court Tuesday, February 20, 2024 in St. George, Utah
The couple had hired Hildebrandt as their family therapist in 2021, but she convinced the couple to separate a year later.
Franke became an internet sensation because of her YouTube channel 8 Passengers, where viewers watched how she and Kevin raised and disciplined their six children.
But late last year, shocking allegations emerged that Franke, a Mormon, had spent years abusing his children.
Franke was arrested along with his business partner Jodi Hildebrandt and couple pleaded guilty in late December.
The first arrests took place last August after Franke’s 12-year-old son Russell climbed out of a window in Hildebrandt’s home, malnourished and with tape on his ankles.
A man, who later described the boy as ’emaciated,’ called 911 while his wife offered Russell water and some fruit.
The 12-year-old told police he had tried to run away a month earlier, prompting his own mother to handcuff his wrists and ankles.
After the daring escape, the police ventured inside in search of the boy’s nine-year-old sister, Eve, who had not been seen for a month.
A neighbor who called 911 described the boy (seen here on Ring doorbell footage) as ’emaciated’
Russell was severely malnourished at the time of his escape. He told police that Hildebrandt tied his wrists and ankles with rope before she and his mother ‘used cayenne pepper and honey to dress the wounds’
While Russell and Eve were regularly denied food, photos from the crime scene show a fully stocked pantry
Police found Eve, 9, huddled in a closet inside the filthy home and were able to coax her out after four agonizing hours
The malnourished little girl, whose head had been shaved, was found sitting cross-legged inside a closet. She was lured to safety after a four-hour standoff that culminated in officers ordering her pizza.
Franke, a mother of six, later admitted to forcing the children to toil in oppressive heat for hours with little food and water.
12-year-old Russell was severely sunburned after working outdoors for several weeks without proper protection.
While Franke and Hildebrandt regularly withheld food from the children, photos from the crime scene showed a pantry full of snacks and canned goods.
Both Russell and Eve were told they were possessed and “the punishments were necessary to repent,” according to court documents.
The women ‘regularly sought to indoctrinate ‘Russell’ and convince him he was evil,’ viewing the abuse as ‘acts of love’.
The inhumane living conditions were exposed when Russell escaped the home in August 2023 and ran to neighbors for help
After searching the property, police found a mixture of cayenne pepper and honey used to dress the children’s wounds and several coils of rope.
Russell told police that Hildebrandt tied his wrists and ankles with rope before she and his mother “used cayenne pepper and honey to dress the wounds,” documents show.
Officers later found a container of the mixture with a spoon dipped inside and a coil of rope next to it.
Hildebrandt, 54, is divorced and estranged from her own children. She claimed to specialize in sex addiction, but was reprimanded by the state in 2012 for having an inappropriate relationship with a client.
In the weeks following the couple’s arrest in August 2023, videos circulated of Ruby gleefully discussing forcing her son to sleep on a beanbag as punishment and refusing to bring her daughter a school lunch after she forgot to pack it herself.
Franke and her ex-husband, Kevin, hired Hildebrandt as their family therapist in 2021. But Hildebrandt ultimately convinced the couple to separate a year later.
Franke subsequently deleted her YouTube channel, which at the time boasted over 5 million subscribers, before taking on a role as a mental health coach at Hildebrandt’s company, ConneXions.
They launched a new YouTube channel under the same name and created a joint Instagram account called Moms of Truth to sell their parenting courses.