Ruby Franke and Kevin Franke Courtesy of moms_of_truth/Instagram
Former YouTube star Ruby Franke tried to remain in contact with husband Kevin Franke after she was arrested on child abuse charges, but he has since asked her to stop writing him from prison.
“The last letter that I received from her from prison was maybe in March or April of last year,” Kevin, 46, told People in an interview published Tuesday, February 25. “And then I requested the Department of Corrections to ask her to stop writing me.”
Kevin wouldn’t disclose what Ruby, 43, was trying to communicate to him, adding, “I didn’t want to hear anymore. I didn’t like what she was saying. I’m not going to share.”
Despite keeping the contents of the letters between him and Ruby, Kevin wasn’t pleased with what he read.
“That’s between her and me. But it just didn’t feel right and it didn’t feel good,” he hinted. “And I’m very angry. I’m still very angry.”
Kevin Franke Disney/Kai Pfaffenbach
Ruby and Kevin’s family achieved YouTube stardom in 2015 when they started their own channel documenting their adventures with their six children. Since then, only the eldest, Shari and Chad, have chosen to remain in the public eye after being the focus of daily vlogs that showcased Ruby’s days as a stay-at-home mom.
In 2023, Ruby and her friend Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested and charged with six counts of felony child abuse. The arrest came after Ruby’s youngest son, who was 12 years old at the time, escaped from Hildebrandt’s home and asked for help from a neighbor.
In response to Ruby’s legal issues, her three sisters released a statement, which read, “For the last three years, we have kept quiet on the subject of our sister Ruby Franke for the sake of her children. Behind the public scene, we have done everything we could to try and make sure the kids were safe.”
The statement continued: “Ruby was arrested which needed to happen. Jodi was arrested which needed to happen. The kids are now safe, which is the No. 1 priority.”
Ruby pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in December 2023 and admitted she tortured her children. As part of her plea deal, she agreed to serve a prison term and agreed that her sentences would run consecutively. She also agreed to testify against Hildebrandt, who pleaded guilty.
“I’m not ashamed to say that after being married over 20 years to that woman, I truly did and still do love her,” Kevin, who was separated from Ruby when the abuse took place, admitted to People on Tuesday. “But that doesn’t excuse what she did, and it doesn’t excuse how she hurt our children and how she hurt me.”
Kevin made it clear that he has no plans to reconcile with his ex.
“There’s some bridges that you just can’t cross and then cross back. She burned the bridges, and so I’m moving on,” he added. “And I’m going to do what’s best for my children, for my family, and for myself, and that’s not going to include her.”
During her sentencing, Ruby issued an apology to her kids and Kevin, saying in a February 2024 court hearing, “You are the love of my life. The ending of our marriage is a tragedy.”
YouTube has banned Ruby and Hildebrandt and deleted the channels associated with their names. Kevin, meanwhile, is seeking custody of his children. His estranged wife is currently serving a 4 to 30 year sentence at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. She won’t appear before the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole — which determines the exact length of her sentence — until December 2026.
To report child abuse, consult the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Welfare Information Gateway for state-specific reporting phone numbers.
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