Ruby Franke’s eldest daughter has revealed her holiday heartbreak, saying the festive period is full of ‘mixed emotions’ as she anxiously awaits the outcome of her mom’s sentencing for child abuse.
Shari Franke, 20, shared an adorable throwback snap of herself as a little girl posing in front of a Christmas tree.
But as the world now knows, the picture-perfect scene belied a home life full of heartache at the hands of her disgraced Youtuber mom, who pleaded guilty to four counts of felony child abuse last week.
‘The Holidays are full of mixed emotions for me. I’m so grateful for all the memories I have to hold onto (as pictured above), and I also look forward to the memories I know I can create,’ Shari wrote.
And in a touching display of support, her aunt Julie Griffiths Deru – Franker’s sister – vowed to help her to ‘continue to make new memories’.
Shari Franke, 20, revealed her struggle during the holidays as she reflects on her abusive childhood at the hands of YouTuber mom Ruby Franke who is awaiting sentencing for child abuse
Shari shared a throwback snap explaining her complex feelings at this time of year, saying she looks ‘forward to the memories I know I can create’
Her post on Instagram received a vote of support from her aunt and Franke’s sister Julie Deru who offered to help her make new memories
The mommy Vlogger’s spectacular fall from grace began after one of her children escaped from the family’s Utah home and rang to a neighbor for help who immediately noted he was covered in wounds and malnourished
Deru acknowledged that their ‘traditions might be different now’, but offered to stand by her side.
Life for the family was turned upside down after the full extent of Franke’s child neglect and abuse was uncovered when one of her children fled to a neighbor seeking refuge.
The shamed Mormon mom took a plea deal four months after her malnourished children were found at the Utah home of her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. She is currently facing up to 60 years in prison.
The business partners were arrested earlier this year after one of Franke’s six children escaped the home in Ivins, running to a neighbor’s home where he knocked on the door asking for food and water.
Her conviction has garnered worldwide headlines, owing to Franke’s carefully crafted persona as a parenting expert on her YouTube channel, 8 Passengers.
But her brand came crashing down after the horrifying allegations against her, including that she starved her children and tied them up with rope and duct tape, were proven to be true.
Franke, 45 was taken into custody after two of her children aged 10 and 12 were found starved with open wounds and duct tape on their ‘extremities’.
The young boy who escaped told prosecutors his mom and Hildebrandt would also dress their wounds with honey and cayenne pepper, both of which were found at the home following a search.
Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of felony child abuse and is currently awaiting sentencing where she faces up to 60 years in jail
Ruby Franke, (left) who ran the now-defunct 8 Passengers channel, was arrested along with her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt (right) on August 30
Allegations against Franke and her business partner included that she bound her children using rope and duct tape, and dressed their wounds in honey and Cayenne pepper
Police were called after a child climbed out of the window of Hildebrandt’s home and ran to a neighbor pleading for food and water.
The neighbor saw the child’s wounds and immediately dialed 911, before another child was also found ‘in a similar physical condition of malnourishment’.
Shari, who also endured abuse, had managed to escape the house of horrors years before. She had distanced herself from her mom and dad Kevin, revealing she had tried to alert the authorities to the situation ‘for years’.
She said her life was turned ‘upside down’ after news of her estranged mom’s arrest broke.
At the time she posted about her mother’s arrest on Instagram, sharing an image of police officers outside the home captioned ‘Finally’ .
But just two days later, Shari faced further tumult after her father called the cops on her to report her for alleged theft of computer drives.
A statement from Franke’s sisters said that they ‘kept quiet on the subject of our sister… for the sake of her children’. Pictured: Julie Griffiths Deru
Franke’s sisters Bonnie Hoellein (left) and Ellie Mecham (right) are also YouTubers. They have since distanced themselves from their sibling
The family blew up on social media after beginning to post videos in 2015, though Franke’s tough parenting style often drew criticism
The couple’s Springville, Utah home was the site of years of child abuse which Shari managed to flee as a teen
Her dad subsequently went on to begin divorce proceedings against his wife in the wake of the allegations, citing differences in parenting styles.
The couple share six children together: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve.
At trial, Franke attempted to shunt the blame onto her business partner, 54 and insisted she was manipulated by Hildebrandt, who was also charged earlier this year.
Franke also made shocking claims shocking claims that one of her minor children sexually abused their sibling and molested several other family members and children in the neighborhood over the years.
The accusations have ramped up the anticipation for Hildebrant’s next court appearance, which is in a matter of days.
Franke’s three sisters including Deru have since come out and distanced themselves from their sibling.
Ellie Mecham, Bonnie Hoellein and Deru stated they kept quiet about the abuse amid concerns ‘for the sake of her [Franke’s] children].
Franke’s strict parenting style has faced a repeated backlash since she started the channel in 2015.
Viewers called child protective services in 2020 after their son Chad, 15, claimed he had slept on a bean bag for seven months.
Franke also threatened to bin her children’s items if they didn’t pay her cash for them, claiming it was a lesson in understanding the value of their things.