Ruby Franke's Daughter Says Vlogging 'Ruined My Innocence Long Before' Mom Was Sentenced to Prison

Shari Franke, the oldest daughter of convicted child abuser and "mommy vlogger" Ruby Franke, addressed Utah lawmakers on Oct. 16.

Speaking on the issue of minors on social media, Shari addressed the Business and Labor Interim Committee amid a discussion about recommendations for statutory change surrounding child influencer protection.

While Ruby was sentenced to 4 to 60 years in prison for child abuse in February, Shari made her reason for addressing the legislation clear from the start of her presentation.

"I don't come today as the daughter of a felon, nor as a victim of an abnormally abusive mother. I come today as a victim of family vlogging," Shari told the Salt Lake City room of legislators. She clarified her intentions for speaking up.

"My goal is not to present any idea of a solution to this problem but to shed light on the ethical and monetary issues that come from being a child influencer when children become stars in their family's online content," she said.

Shari is the eldest of Ruby's six kids who gained notoriety for appearing in family vlogs in the suburbs of Springville since 2015, amassing millions of followers on the family's now-deleted YouTube channel. Ruby's public downfall began in 2020 when skeptics grew worried about the Mormon family’s strict household.

During Shari's presentation in Utah, she spoke from personal experience to raise awareness of the lasting impact child vlogging can have on a child's life. "It is more than just filming your family life and putting it online," she said. "It is a full-time job with employees, business credit cards, managers and marketing strategies."

Shari explained the difference between family vlogging and a normal business; however, noted that "all the children are employees" from the day they are born until they turn 18 years old because they are "the stars" of the content shared on Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms.

Acknowledging that family vlogging can be "an alluring business" due to the high monetary reward, even alleging it became their "primary source of income" as full-time family bloggers, Shari put forth moral and ethical reasons that put into question posting children online for money or fame.

"Many child influencers are paid for their work, as I was, and this money has helped me in my adult life. However, this payment was usually a bribe," Shari alleged. "For example, we'd be rewarded $100 or [a] shopping trip if we filmed a particularly embarrassing moment or an exciting event in our lives."

Additionally, Shari alleged that "going on vacation was expected to be payment enough because most kids don't get to go on regular and expensive trips." Meanwhile, she said that "the child's labor is actually what paid for the vacation or trip."

Shari said there is no law in place ensuring that the children of family vlogs are paid for their labor and exposure. “If a family account does not become an LLC, parents are taxed heavily for paying their children,” she told the committee in part.

Still, even if a price is determined to pay a child for being filmed and appearing in the family's content posted online, Shari questioned "what price is worth giving up your childhood" especially when the children are subjected to "the 24/7 labor" at their own emotional and physical expense.

"The business was successful when I was happy or when I shared my hardships with the world," Shari revealed. "Some of our most popular videos were when my eyebrow was accidentally waxed off and the whole world saw a crying teenager when I just wanted to mourn in private... or the time I was violently ill and got the leading role in the video that day."

Shari said her friends "became scarce" because "dates were filmed" and they didn't want to be recorded. "The camera never stops and there is no such thing as a break from filming," she alleged.

The "monetary perks and fun experiences" that many child influencers get to have may seem enjoyable at the time, Shari recognized, though she explained it's likely because they "do not understand the consequences" of filming their lives and uploading it for mass audiences to watch.

"I did not realize the impact that filming as a child would have on me now," she told the committee. "My social media became flooded with rumors of having sexual relations with my own brother to being called a baby birthing machine at the age of 13."

She added, "All these things have stuck with me and I will forever live between the ages of 13 to 17 in many of my viewers' minds."

Shari continued to speak about the negative consequences that could result from being posted online as a child, in addition to discussing the possibilities of being compensated with payment for their work. She expressed the need to tackle these issues now "before it becomes a bigger crisis."

She concluded, "I am proud to be one of the first child influencers in the state of Utah to speak against this issue... Family vlogging ruined my innocence long before Ruby committed a crime."

Ruby and Hildebrandt were charged with child abuse in September 2023, after Ruby’s then 12-year-old son Russell escaped “emaciated” from Hildebrandt’s Utah home with visible wounds and tape marks on his wrists and ankles, per a neighbor who called 911 at the time.

Eve, Ruby’s then-9-year-old daughter, was also found in “a similar physical condition of malnourishment” at Hildebrandt’s home, per a press release shared by Utah police at the time.

Ruby pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in December 2023. On Feb. 20, 2024, Ruby and Hildebrandt were sentenced to four to 60 years in prison after four convictions each of aggravated child abuse.

Following her mom's arrest in September 2023, Shari, who is estranged from her parents, wrote on Instagram: “Today has been a big day. Me and my family are so glad justice is being served. We've been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up."

Then, in a post shared a month later, Shari wrote there were "not even words to describe how upside down my life has become."

"I’ve cried, had an infinite number of panic attacks, had way too much ice-cream, and yet life goes on. Therapy has literally saved me, but God has too," she continued. "My life is somehow becoming more beautiful and fulfilling, despite all the terrible things going on."

"I’ve tried to live my life to the fullest the last few weeks, even though all I want to do is hide away in my apartment (I do have my days). Tomorrow is another big court day, and I’d appreciate your prayers and thoughts for my family and myself," added Shari.