Ex-YouTube Family Vlogger Ruby Franke’s Husband Files for Divorce Three Months After Child Abuse Arrest

The husband of disgraced former YouTuber Ruby Franke filed for divorce just months after she was arrested on child abuse charges. 

According to NBC, Ruby Franke's husband, Kevin Franke, filed for divorce Wednesday, Nov. 29. The filing comes three months after Ruby Franke and her marriage counselor turned business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested and charged with six counts of felony child abuse, with each count carrying up to 15 years in prison. 

Police found the couple's 12-year-old son emaciated, wounded, and bound with duct tape on Aug. 30. Authorities also reportedly found the Franke’s 10-year-old daughter in a similar malnourished state. Ruby Franke was arrested and taken into custody on Aug. 30, and her four underage children were taken into state custody. 

The Messenger previously reported that the children would escape to their neighbor's house and beg for food as their mother would use starvation as a punishment. 

Ruby Franke rose to fame in 2015 via her YouTube channel called 8 Passengers where she documented her family life with her husband and six children. The channel had almost 2.3 million subscribers before being removed from the platform following Ruby Franke’s arrest. 

On the channel, Ruby Franke would exhibit harsh and odd parenting tactics that resulted in the couple facing backlash even before she and Hildebrandt were arrested. 

In police cam footage from October, Kevin Franke is seen pleading with police to arrest his 20-year-old daughter for allegedly breaking into their house and taking three tablets computers, three cellphones, three cameras, some hard drives, a stack of written journals and three passports.

Kevin Franke's attorney, Randy Kester, told NBC in October that the couple had been separated for 13 months “at Ruby’s directive.” Kester also told the outlet that Kevin Franke did not want to be separated, as he “wanted to work through concerns as a family.” 

Ruby Franke is being held without bond as she awaits an undetermined trial date. 

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.