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Child Influencer's Daughter Exposes Family Abuse
14 Dec
Summary
- Eldest daughter Shari spoke about trauma from family vlogging on '8 Passengers'.
- Abuse conviction involved Ruby Franke and friend Jodi Hildebrandt.
- Shari advocates for a bill to protect child influencers online.
Shari Franke, the eldest daughter of Ruby Franke, has revealed the profound emotional toll that years of family vlogging on the "8 Passengers" YouTube channel took on her and her siblings. She described how the constant public performance eroded their offline relationships, creating an environment where personal boundaries and trust were compromised, leading to deep-seated trauma.
This comes after Ruby Franke and her life coach, Jodi Hildebrandt, were convicted in 2023 for multiple counts of aggravated child abuse. The children's suffering came to light when Ruby's youngest son escaped from Hildebrandt's home in Utah, showing signs of severe malnutrition and abuse. Both Franke and Hildebrandt are currently serving prison sentences.
Shari, who has moved out of the family home, is now a vocal advocate for child influencer safety. She is pushing for legislation to protect minors exploited for online content and implores viewers to be more critical of the "behind-the-scenes" reality of family vlogging, emphasizing that financial gain often drives these content creation choices.
