Home Uncategorized Netflix documentary is flipping the script on one of the most shocking family scandals of recent years. While millions watched Ruby Franke raise six children on YouTube, Jodi Hildebrandt, a former life coach, may have quietly pulled the strings behind the scenes — shaping decisions, manipulating beliefs, and creating a chilling environment that ultimately led to abuse. The opening scene alone is haunting: a malnourished boy knocking on a neighbor’s door for help, his sister hiding terrified in a cupboard — the reality behind the online façade.

Netflix documentary is flipping the script on one of the most shocking family scandals of recent years. While millions watched Ruby Franke raise six children on YouTube, Jodi Hildebrandt, a former life coach, may have quietly pulled the strings behind the scenes — shaping decisions, manipulating beliefs, and creating a chilling environment that ultimately led to abuse. The opening scene alone is haunting: a malnourished boy knocking on a neighbor’s door for help, his sister hiding terrified in a cupboard — the reality behind the online façade.

Uncategorized · 07/01/2026 · comments off
THE STORY BEHIND THE SCANDAL: HOW A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY REFRAMES THE RUBY FRANKE CASEEvil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt StoryWhen news broke in 2023 that family vlogger Ruby Franke had been arrested for child abuse, the public reaction was immediate and visceral. Millions had watched her raise six children on YouTube, presenting a strict but seemingly wholesome version of family life. How could a woman with such a public image be capable of extreme cruelty?

A new Netflix documentary, Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story, argues that focusing solely on Franke misses a crucial part of the picture. The film shifts attention away from the influencer in front of the camera and toward the woman behind the scenes — Jodi Hildebrandt, a life coach whose influence, former clients claim, was both profound and destructive.

A CASE THAT SHOOK THE INTERNET

Ruby Franke rose to fame through her now-defunct YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which once had more than 2.5 million subscribers. Her parenting style often sparked controversy, but few could have predicted how the story would end.

In August 2023, Franke was arrested on multiple counts of aggravated child abuse. The case quickly became international news, raising uncomfortable questions about the blurred line between online performance, ideology, and real-life harm.

Yet, as director Skye Borgman suggests, Franke did not act alone.

THE OPENING SCENE THAT DEFINES THE DOCUMENTARY

The documentary begins not with commentary, but with chilling security footage. A malnourished boy — later identified as Franke’s 12-year-old son — knocks on a neighbour’s door, asking for food, water, and help getting to the police.

The neighbour’s voice trembles as he calls authorities, having noticed the boy’s visible injuries. When police investigate Jodi Hildebrandt’s home, where the child escaped from, they discover his younger sister — starved, terrified, her head shaved — hiding inside a cupboard.

These images set the tone for a film that is less about shock value and more about accountability.

WHO IS JODI HILDEBRANDT?

Jodi Hildebrandt being questioned.

Hildebrandt was not a public influencer in the traditional sense. She was a former therapist and the founder of ConneXions, a life-coaching organization that marketed itself as a solution for marital and family problems.

Both Franke and Hildebrandt shared deeply conservative religious beliefs. Franke was a devout Mormon, while Hildebrandt held significant influence within Mormon communities through her counseling work.

When the Franke family sought help for marital issues, Ruby reportedly fell under Hildebrandt’s control. Over time, the counselor became embedded in the family’s life, eventually hosting the children in her own home — where the abuse took place.

A PATTERN OF CONTROL

Former clients interviewed in the documentary describe Hildebrandt using manipulation tactics often associated with cult-like dynamics. According to their accounts, she encouraged emotional isolation, pushed couples toward separation, and positioned herself as the sole moral authority in their lives.

Men and women alike recount relationships destroyed and families fractured after submitting to her guidance. Ruby Franke, the film suggests, was not the first — but was the most visible — person to succumb to Hildebrandt’s influence.

By the time of the arrests, Ruby and her husband Kevin had been separated for over a year. Kevin later told police he had not seen his children during that time.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. In February 2024, she was sentenced to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years and is currently incarcerated at Utah State Correctional Facility.

Her company, ConneXions, has since shut down. However, Borgman notes in the documentary that Hildebrandt has allegedly continued attempting to “coach” vulnerable women even while in prison.

Ruby Franke received an identical sentence and is held in the same correctional facility, though the two women are housed separately and are believed to have no contact.

THE AFTERMATH FOR THE FAMILY

Kevin Franke later gained custody of the couple’s four youngest children following their divorce, finalized in March 2025. Speaking to PEOPLE, he described the abuse revelations as devastating but emphasized his focus on protecting his children.

“I truly did and still do love her,” he said of Ruby. “But that doesn’t excuse what she did… I’m going to do what’s best for my children.”

In late 2025, Kevin remarried.

The two youngest victims remain anonymous, as do their minor siblings. The eldest children, Shari and Chad, were adults at the time of the arrests. Shari has since published a memoir, The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, while Chad has reportedly built a career in real estate.

MORE THAN A TRUE-CRIME STORY

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story ultimately asks a broader question: how much power should unelected, unregulated “coaches” and influencers be allowed to wield over private lives?

By reframing the narrative away from a single “evil mother” and toward a system of manipulation, belief, and unchecked authority, the documentary challenges viewers to look beyond headlines — and to recognize warning signs before influence turns into abuse.

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