Current:Home > reviewsYouTuber Ruby Franke Denies Doing "Naughty Things" in Jail Phone Call to Husband Kevin Franke -WealthRoots Academy
YouTuber Ruby Franke Denies Doing "Naughty Things" in Jail Phone Call to Husband Kevin Franke
View
Date:2025-04-16 04:01:22
Content warning: This story discusses child abuse.
Prosecutors have shared more insight into Ruby Franke's mindset following her arrest.
The Washington County Attorney's Office in Utah has released a jailhouse conversation between the former YouTuber and her estranged husband Kevin Franke, in which she blamed the devil for her Aug. 30 arrest over child abuse charges.
In the phone call—which took place just two days after Ruby and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were taken into custody—Ruby told her husband, "The most upsetting thing is that I am completely misunderstood."
"Satan has taken everything away from me that I love," the 42-year-old said Sept. 1 in the call from Purgatory Correctional Facility. "And I'm a good woman. I don't do naughty things. I don't do naughty things. I'm a really good girl."
The mom of six also told Kevin that she would stay away from their kids if she were acquitted. However, Kevin predicted she would likely have legal restrictions placed on her access to the children until they reached the age of 18.
"I figured such. God told me," she said. "God told me when I was driving before I called you."
"The Spirit said, ‘Your children are gonna be removed,'" she continued. "And I just cried out loud. I'm like, ‘No, I'm not done. I'm not ready.' And God told me I'm done."
Kevin can be heard telling her at that time, "I'm committed to our family. I'm committed to you and our marriage, no matter what happens. I will be here to support you in any way that I can."
He has since filed for divorce from Ruby, with his lawyer saying the pair had been living apart from for more than a year before her arrest.
E! News has reached out to lawyers for Ruby, Kevin and Jodi for comment on the phone call but has not heard back.
Ruby—who ran the 8 Passengers YouTube channel—was sentenced Feb. 20 to four to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. Following her sentencing, her lawyer made it clear she had no intention of appealing the sentence.
The family vlogger was originally arrested over aggravated child abuse charges in August when Utah police received a report of a starving child and investigated the allegations, the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department said in a press release.
Authorities determined the child was in "severe" condition, looked "emaciated and malnourished" and had "open wounds and duct tape around the extremities."
During her hearing, Ruby apologized to her children and husband.
"For the past four years, I've chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion," Ruby said in court, per the livestream on the Utah court's website. "My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me."
"I believed dark was light and right was wrong," she added while addressing her kids. "I would do anything in this world for you. I took from you all that was soft and safe, and good."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (9)
Related
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Music streams hit 4 trillion in 2023. Country and global acts — and Taylor Swift — fueled the growth
- Alabama coach Nick Saban retiring after winning 7 national titles, according to multiple reports
- Paul Giamatti's own high school years came in handy in 'The Holdovers'
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Alan Ritchson says he went into 'Reacher' mode to stop a car robbery in Canada
- Engine maker Cummins to repair 600,000 Ram trucks in $2 billion emissions cheating scandal
- Elderly couple found dead in South Carolina bedroom after home heater reached 1,000 degrees
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Ex-Norwich University president accused of violating policies of oldest private US military college
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- AEW star Adam Copeland revels in the 'joy' of war god Ares in Disney+'s 'Percy Jackson'
- Alabama coach Nick Saban retiring after winning 7 national titles, according to multiple reports
- ESPN's Stephen A. Smith Defends Taylor Swift Amid Criticism Over Her Presence at NFL Games
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- 3 adults with gunshot wounds found dead in Kentucky home set ablaze
- Ex-Norwich University president accused of violating policies of oldest private US military college
- ‘3 Body Problem’ to open SXSW, ‘The Fall Guy’ also to premiere at Austin festival
Recommendation
Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
As prison populations rise, states face a stubborn staffing crisis
The bird flu has killed a polar bear for the first time ever – and experts say it likely won't be the last
Delaware judge limits scope of sweeping climate change lawsuit against fossil fuel companies
Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced in the hit-and-run death of a retired police officer
Jessica Biel Proves Son Is Taking After Dad Justin Timberlake's Musical Interest in Rare Photo
German software giant SAP fined more than $220M to resolve US bribery allegations