Kevin Franke is the husband of Ruby Franke and the subject of the YouTube channel 8 Passengers. Ruby was detained and accused of two counts of serious child abuse on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. The U.S. Sun was informed by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office that her business partner was also detained. The two were detained, according to the police, for “intentionally or knowingly committing aggravated child abuse.”
So, who is Kevin? What as he share after the recent arrest? What is his job?
Meet Kevin Franke, Ruby Franke’s Husband
YouTuber Ruby Franke and her husband Kevin Franke married on 28 December 2000.
On their 17th anniversary, a post from 8 Passengers Facebook post read, “Seventeen years ago today I married the most amazing man! On occasion, I will get comments on my channel asking if I am single or people wondering “Who is that man?” It’s true that Kevin is gone a lot for his job, but I assure you I am a married woman. We have been through a lot of highs and a lot of lows together. We are filming a Q&A today. Ask ANYTHING about marriage, love, and raising a family and we will do our best to answer.”
Utah-based mother of six and YouTuber Ruby Franke. She was once well-known for her popular vlogging series 8 Passengers channel but was detained on August 30 on suspicion of abusing children.
The channel, which debuted in January 2015, featured Ruby and Kevin Franke’s family of six kids. The family is a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also referred to as the Mormon Church, and they are from Springville, Utah.
For the documentary 8 Passengers, which followed the lives of the couple and their six children, Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve, she and her husband Kevin amassed 2.5 million subscribers.
However, the family has been in a downward spiral and has been the subject of rumors and accusations for the last three years.
The image darkened as the Frankes’ YouTube channel developed. They began to receive more criticism for their extremely strict and occasionally nasty parenting approach from the audience. Chad disclosed in a vlog in the summer of 2020 that he was sleeping on a beanbag after his bedroom was taken away for pulling pranks on his younger brother.
Some viewers stated that they thought this was child abuse. Investigative YouTube channels then started reviewing older material and highlighting passages that they claimed to be concerning.
When Eve was just 6 years old at the time, Franke claimed in one video that she wouldn’t pack a lunch for her since Eve would forget to pick it up before school. This, according to several viewers, amounted to starving her.
A Change.org petition was set up calling for Child Protective Services to step in, which received over 17,000 signatures. “This family is profiting off their children and focusing on themselves first,” it reads. (No officials appeared to engage with the petition — Utah’s CPS website asks people to call its hotline or fill out an online referral form if they are worried about anybody.)
When Insider at the time saw a letter from Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services, where the Frankes reside, it stated that the matter was closed since the allegations were unfounded.
The Frankes continued posting videos on their channel for a while. Uploads became more sporadic, then stopped altogether. The channel was removed sometime in mid-2023. The Franke’s former manager, Larry Shapiro, the CEO of talent agency Ensemble Digital Studios, told Insider in May 2023 that they were “a good family that got torn apart” but could not comment further.
Shari Franke, the eldest of the Franke children, declared in September 2022 that she had cut off all communication with her family and that she did not concur with “the extreme beliefs” of ConneXions. She cautioned her supporters, nevertheless, to “please remember that this is my real family.”
The whereabouts of the rest of the family are also a topic of concern. The second-oldest child, Chad, is rumored to have left as well, but he hasn’t made any public online posts since the family’s YouTube channel was taken down. Kevin was originally connected with ConneXions as well, although he hasn’t been seen in the media in a while. It’s not known if he and Franke are still together.
After Ruby’s arrest for suspicion of two counts of aggravated child abuse, Kevin is making sure that their six kids are his No. 1 priority. Kevin’s attorney, Randy S. Kester, told Page Six that his client’s “urgent focus is simply to keep his children together under his fatherly care.”
Ruby — who will be held in Washington County jail without bail — declined to speak to authorities and instead requested a lawyer.
Kevin Franke Age
Born in 1978, Kevin Franke turned 44 in 2022.
Who Are Kevin Franke Parents?
Kevin Franke is the son of Donald Franke Williams and Shari Humpherys Clark. His parents married on 4 October 1977 in Ogden, Utah.
Before Donald married Shari, he was married to Cora Evans in Pacific Grove, California on 14 October 1952. They were parents of five children: Donald Bryan (Lori) of West Jordan; Kathleen Ogden (Ward) of Ogden; Alan Wade (Cindy) of Farr West; Eileen Whetman (Vance) of Cedar City and Aaron Michael (Jennifer) of Cedar Hills.
Meanwhile, Shari also has another son named Chris Richard Clark (Nancy) of Harrisville.
Kevin’s father Donald was born on 3 October 1934 to Walter and Charlotte Franke and was raised in Salt Lake City with five siblings. He attended South High School in Salt Lake City, graduating in 1952.
Donald attended Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, receiving his BSEE degree from the University of Utah. He also received an MSEE degree from UCLA. He served two years in the U.S. Army.
Following graduation from the University of Utah, Don worked for Boeing Airplane Company in Seattle, Washington, and for the U.S. Navy and Air Force and 17 years with TRW.
Kevin Franke Job
Kevin Franke reportedly worked as an associate professor and an ASCE Student Chapter Adviser at Brigham Young University, but his employment there ended earlier this spring, a spokesperson told Insider. He had a profile which is no longer available. They didn’t give any details about why he left the job.
How Much Is Kevin Franke Net Worth?
Kevin Franke’s net worth is above $1.5 million.
Kevin Franke Height
Based on his pictures, Kevin Franke’s height measures under 6 feet.
Related FAQs
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When Is Kevin Franke Birthday?
Kevin Franke’s birthday is on 9 October.
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Where Is Kevin Franke From?
Kevin Franke hailed from Springville, Utah.
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Is Kevin Franke On Instagram?
No, Kevin Franke doesn’t seem to be on Instagram.
