The estranged husband of Ruby Franke is suing her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt for allegedly causing him ‘economic and emotional distress’.
Ruby Franke, 42, pleaded guilty in December to four counts of aggravated child abuse and were 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 doling out brutal parenting advice on social media.
Franke’s husband Kevin has now filed a lawsuit claiming that he and his children were the victims of alleged emotional distress and negligence by Hildebrandt.
Kevin Franke, seen here with his ex-wife Ruby, has filed a lawsuit claiming that he and his children were the victims of alleged emotional distress and negligence by Jodi Hildebrandt
Jodi began living with the couple after Kevin and Ruby had tried to help her fight ‘evil spirits’ and ‘cast the demons out’
Ruby (pictured left), 42, was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison in February for brutally abusing her 12-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter in a ‘concentration camp-like setting.’ Jodi (pictured right), 54, was also sentenced to up to 30 years behind bars
KUTV reported that the lawsuit filed by Franke cites ‘intentional infliction of emotional distress’, ‘negligent infliction of emotional distress’ and ‘negligence’.
The complain alleges that Hildebrandt acted with disregard of the probability of causing emotional distress to Franke and to each of his children.
It alleges that Franke suffered severe and/or extreme emotional distress that was caused by her actions.
The suit that he has suffered past and future economic and noneconomic damages, pain, emotional distress, loss of quality of life and loss of enjoyment in life.
Franke is seeking judgement on damages, along with pain and suffering, losses and harms and all other general damages as well as costs and attorney fees.
A written statement from Randy Kester, who represents Kevin Franke, on behalf of Franke, said: ‘This lawsuit marks a significant step in our journey towards seeking justice for myself and my children against the abuses inflicted by Ms. Hildebrandt.
‘Ms. Hildebrandt weaponized her authority and professional training to cause tremendous 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 long-term healing and welfare of my children.’
The complain alleges that Hildebrandt acted with disregard of the probability 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, Feb. 20, 2024, in St. George, Utah
Defendant Jodi Hildebrandt looks on during court Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in St. George, Utah
The couple had employed Hildebrandt as their family therapist in 2021 but she convinced the couple to separate a year later.
Franke became an internet sensation due to her YouTube channel 8 Passengers, where viewers watched how she and Kevin raised and disciplined their six kids.
But late last year, shocking claims emerged that Franke, a Mormon, had spent years abusing her children.
Franke was arrested alongside her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt and the pair pleaded guilty in late December.
The initial arrests occurred in August of last year after Franke’s 12-year-old son Russell crawled out of a window in Hildebrandt’s home, malnourished and with tape on his ankles.
One man, who later described the boy as ’emaciated,’ dialed 911 while his wife offered Russell water and some fruit.
The 12-year-old told police that he had attempted to escape a month earlier, prompting his own mother to bind his wrists and ankles with handcuffs.
Following the daring escape, police ventured back 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 badly malnourished at the time of his escape. He told police that Hildebrandt bound 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, crime scene photos show a fully stocked pantry
Police found Eve, 9, cowering in a closet inside the grimy 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 coaxed to safety after a four-hour effort 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.
Twelve-year-old Russell was badly sunburnt after he worked outdoors for several weeks without the proper protection.
While Franke and Hildebrandt regularly withheld food from the children, crime scene photos showed a pantry brimming with 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 that he was evil,’ deeming the abuse ‘acts of love’.
The inhumane living conditions were exposed when Russell escaped the home in August 2023 and ran to neighbors for help
Upon searching the property, police recovered a mixture of cayenne pepper and honey that was used to dress the children’s wounds and several coils of rope
Russell told police that Hildebrandt bound his wrists and ankles with rope before she and his mother ‘used cayenne pepper and honey to dress the wounds,’ documents show.
Officers later recovered a container of the mixture with a spoon dipped inside and a coil of rope beside 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 pair’s August 2023 arrest, videos circulated where Ruby gleefully discussed 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, employed 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 boasted over 5 million subscribers at the time, before assuming a role as a mental health coach with 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 peddle their parenting classes.