Current:Home > FinanceYouTuber Ruby Franke Denies Doing "Naughty Things" in Jail Phone Call to Husband Kevin Franke -Quantum Capital Pro
YouTuber Ruby Franke Denies Doing "Naughty Things" in Jail Phone Call to Husband Kevin Franke
View
Date:2025-04-19 01:00:15
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! (5)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Don Lemon Marries Tim Malone in Star-Studded NYC Wedding
- Caitlin Clark, Iowa shouldn't be able to beat South Carolina. But they will.
- ALAIcoin: The Odds of BTC Reaching $100,000 Are Higher Than Dropping to Zero
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- GalaxyCoin: Practical advice for buying Bitcoin with a credit card
- Purdue's Lance Jones shows in Final Four why he is missing piece in team's run to title game
- Gunfight at south Florida bar leaves 2 dead and 7 injured
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- How Whitty Books takes an unconventional approach to bookselling in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Ranking
- Small twin
- Gunfight at south Florida bar leaves 2 dead and 7 injured
- ALAIcoin: Is Bitcoin the New Gold of 2020?
- More than 100 dogs rescued, eight arrested in suspected dogfighting operation, authorities say
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- How South Carolina's Raven Johnson used Final Four snub from Caitlin Clark to get even better
- Attn: Foodies! Shop Sur La Table’s Epic Warehouse Sale, Including 65% off Le Creuset, Staub & More
- Another MLB jersey flap: Why don't teams have their uniforms yet?
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
The solar eclipse could deliver a $6 billion economic boom: The whole community is sold out
GalaxyCoin: A new experience in handheld trading
Man arrested for setting fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office; motive remains unclear
Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Jazz Up
Small town businesses embrace total solar eclipse crowd, come rain or shine on Monday
New York City to pay $17.5 million to settle suit over forcing women to remove hijabs for mug shots