Sisters of Ruby Franke Speak Out: “We’ve Been Trying to Reach Out to Her and Her Children for Years

Two sisters of Ruby Franke, the family vlogger charged with six counts of felony child abuse, have released videos detailing Franke’s separation from their family and their efforts to connect with her children.

Julie Deru and Bonnie Hoellein, both vloggers, published separate videos on their respective channels saying they had been out of touch with Franke for several years. Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested on August 30th and charged with six counts of felony child abuse by the Washington County, Utah, Attorney’s Office.

Franke and her husband, Kevin, had amassed 2.5 million subscribers on their now-removed family channel, “8 Passengers.” The charges stem from an incident in August when a neighbor called the police after seeing duct tape on the boy’s ankles and wrists. When the child was taken to an area hospital, he was found to be malnourished and suffering from “deep lacerations from being tied up with rope,” according to court documents.

In their videos, Deru and Hoellein said they were unaware of Franke’s alleged behavior and expressed their shock and sadness at the news. They also said they had been trying to reach out to Franke and her children for years, but had been unsuccessful.

Franke is currently being held without bail and the case is ongoing. The sisters of Franke have urged their followers to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers.