Where is Ruby Franke’s son Chad now? Inside his life after “8 passengers” vlogs

Chad Franke Growing up no stranger for the limelight.

His family – including his parents, Ruby Franke and Kevin FrankeAnd his five siblings – were the stars in the very popular family’s vlog “8 passengers.” Frankes started posting on his Youtube channel in 2015 (when Chad was ten years old) and shared his everyday life as a Mormon family who lived in Springville, Utah.

Fast flushing grew their following to 2.5 million followers in 2020, with the family who regularly published up to five videos per week, according to The cut. When Frankes reached the height of their fame, they began to participate in Utah-based family therapist Jodi HildebrandtProgram connections in 2019, which promised “to help you flourish in your relationships”, according to her now closed website. Hildebrandt also began working with his oldest son, Chad, according to the podcast Ruby Franke’s rise and fall.

Summer 2022, Rubin and Hildebrandt had come together professionally (host for the Connexions podcast together) and blurred boundaries personally, with Ruby who allowed Hildebrandt to move into his home, according to NBC. Soon eroded Ruby’s relationships with her own family: she became foreign from her oldest child Shari, separated from her husband Kevin and forced him to move out of the family’s home (with Chad’s following).

But most tragically Ruby believed that her two youngest children were evil and obsessed by a demonand forced them to endure terrible physical abuse.

Ruby and Hildebrandt were eventually arrested and accused of six counts of abuse against children In August 2023, after Ruby’s The youngest son fled and sought help from a neighbor. The two was sentenced and each one Sentenced to 4 to 60 years in prison.

Now, chad – along with his older sister Shari and father Kevin – is talking about the family’s tragic trial for the first time in Hulus docuseries Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Frankewhich premiered on February 27.

Here is a look at Chad Franke’s vlogging days with his family – and where he has been since his mother’s public case.

Who is Chad Franke?

Born February 3, 2005, Chad is the second oldest child – and oldest son – by Kevin and Ruby Franke. He and his five siblings (Sisters Shari, Abby, Julie and Eve and Brother Russell) were regularly presented on their parents’ vlog, “8 passengers”, from the beginning of 2015.

Chad’s family documented their everyday life in Springville, Utah, on their Youtube channel, with the Franke children mainly in the limelight. The vlogs showed their different moments in age, such as Chad’s difficulties in school and his voice changes during puberty, according to The cut.

The Franks were also open about their strict parenting and disciplines on their increasingly popular vlog.

The controversial punishment – Many involved Chad – including removing the “privilege” to have dinner from Chad and his younger brother Russell after wrestling at home and removing Chad’s bed for seven months after playing a prank on a sibling.

“I slept on a beanbag since October,” Chad explained In a video.

Why was Chad Franke sent to wilderness therapy?

In 2019, Chad was made on “8 passengers” As a rebel within the Franke family, often fights in school and shows behavioral problems, according to the podcast Ruby Franke’s rise and fall. That summer, viewers noticed Chad’s absence from the family’s Youtube videos – and questioned his place of residence in the comments.

Ruby and Kevin spoke to Chad’s disappearance in a 12-minute vlog published in August 2019. They revealed that Chad, who was 14 years old at that time, had entered the Anasazi Foundation Wilderness Therapy program and would spend the next 8 to 10 weeks living in the ARAZI.

“You probably wonder, what did Chad do?” Said Kevin in a Youtube video (via Ruby Franke’s rise and fall). “We will not even maintain it, but it is an accumulation of things over the years … and it has reached a point where Chad needs to develop a very basic maturity and skills that he will need as an adult.”

Ruby continued, “This is a chance for a recovery, a beginning, a do over, a new beginning.”

According to Anasazi FoundationThey are an outdoor behavior health program for young people struggling with “abuse, emotional or behavioral problems.” Participants in the program must spend at least 49 days in Arizona wilderness, hiking and camping with minimal gear. The site emphasizes that the program is not a “boot camp” but focuses on “the principles of unconditional love, agency, repentance, forgiveness and refund.”

While Chad was on Anasazi began the hashtag #freechad circulating on Instagram, according to “8 passengers” Clips presented on Ruby Franke’s rise and fall. The Anasazi Foundation’s office would also field telephone calls by people who say “free chad” and “send Chad home”, the Franks shared on their vlog.

But after ten weeks in the wilderness program, Chad was reunited with his family and back to Vlogging and shared his experience in a Q&A video for the Youtube channel “8 passengers”. His therapy, however, did not end in Arizona: When he returned home to Utah, Ruby started working with a family therapist called Jodi Hildebrandt.

What was chad Franke’s mother Ruby and Jodi Hildebrandt accused?

It was not only Ruby and Kevin’s treatment of Chad who raised red flags among “8 passengers” fans: 2020 signed over 18,000 people A change of change.orgwho claimed abuses against children and requested that child protection services investigate the family.

As a result, Utah’s department of children’s and family services visited the Franke home and interviewed the children individually for two hours – but the case was eventually dropped due to lack of evidence to support the charges, according to Insider.

As she began to become more intertwined with Hildebrandt, Ruby eventually stopped posting on 8 passengers Blog completely. Instead, Ruby and Hildebrandt created ”Moms of Truth“And behind the scenes, Ruby’s parenting style became even more extreme.

In 2023 had Ruby forced his husband out of the houseCut off the contact with their children and moved 300 miles away to Hildebrant’s home In Ivins, Utah. Chad and his older sister, Shari, no longer lived at that time, and Ruby left his two teenage daughters – Abby and Julie – without surveillance at the family’s Springville residence. But the two youngest children, Russell and Eva, were taken with Ruby in the move to Ivins – and exposed to Awesome torture In the hands of their mother and her business partner.

On August 30, 2023, 12-year-old Russell Hildebrandt fled, where he was held caught by Ruby and Hildebrandt and sought help. Russell received attention from a neighbor, who was driven to tears over the boys “Abandoned” condition and called 911.

Shortly after, the authorities discovered Russell and his then 9-year-old sister Eva were in similar malnutrition states, with their bodies covered with “wounds and markings”, according to a press release from the police. Both Ruby and Hildebrandt were Arrested and each one was accused of Six bills of aggravated abuse against children.

What happened to Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt?

In December 2023 Ruby took a case and cited guilty to four bills of aggravated abuse against children, as opposed to the six for which she was originally accused.

While a statement from her lawyers described Ruby as a “dedicated mother” who was “Affected” and “LED ASERAY” by Hildebrandt10-sided foundation that has been exposed to frightening details about the abuse Ruby applied Russell – including binding hands and feet with handcuffs, kicking him, keeping his head underwater and covering his mouth and nose so he couldn’t breathe.

Hildebrandt also appealed to four bills of aggravated abuse of children, and as part of their grounds, both women relinquished the right to appeal their conviction. The Got identical sentences In February 2024: Four consecutive sentences ranging from 1 to 15 years. However, none of the women will serve more than 30 years in prison Due to an Utah law About consecutive sentences.

Ruby apologize to their children At her judgment. “To my children, my six little chickens. You are part of me, “said the shameful influencer. “I was a mom -anchor who consistently twisted you to safety. I can see now that over the past four years I was in a deep undercurrent that led us to danger. ”

She continued, “I will never stop crying for hurting your sore souls. You are so valuable to me. I’m sorry. ”

Chad participated in her mother’s judgment when she apologized and handed over her punishment by the judge. The then 19-year-old was also photographed smile when he left the courtroom after Ruby was sentenced, Page six reported.

Where is Chad Franke now?

Since he left his family vlogging days behind, Chad remains active on his social media accounts – and published about his girlfriendThe hobby and Travel. In July 2024 he revealed on his Instagram Told that he had started the property school and in February 2025 he worked as a real estate agent.

“Being a real estate agent has been best suited for me to start my career,” Chad wrote on Instagram. “Working with you all and getting to know you all personally is the best part of this. DM me for your real estate needs, any state! ”

Although Chad often publishes on his Instagram and Tiktok Accounts, he rarely comments on his mother’s arrest and conviction (unlike his older sister Shari, who has spoken before Utah legislators and written a book about their trial). But in June 2024, Chad Shared an Instagram video It mentioned his imprisoned mother.

“Got a tattoo from my mother for the summer,” he wrote on the video before dried tattoo lotion from his forearm, which revealed that nothing was there.

Since, in August 2024, he observed a year anniversary of his mother’s arrest On Snapchat, share the message “Happy Prisonversary” over a photo of Ruby (taken probably before her prison).

Now, Chad – along with his older sister Shari and father Kevin – Shares his story for the first time in Hulu Docuseries Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Frankewhich premiered on February 27. The three -part series not only crowns the family’s tragic trial But also highlights what really happened behind Frankes seemingly perfect Youtube personalities.

According to Chad, Ruby wanted to “just show the view of a Mormon happy family, but they only saw what we wanted to show them.”

He has also posted on his Instagram An account of his involvement in the Hulu series.

“POV: Everyone sees you at Hulu and lets you be their real estate agent,” he wrote over a video of himself dancing to a viral melody. “Praying it grows my business,” added Chad in the caption.