Former family vlogger Ruby Franke is expected to enter a plea agreement Monday in Washington County, Utah, after being charged in September with six counts of felony child abuse.
The Utah mother of six had an audience of nearly 2.3 million subscribers before her family YouTube channel “8 Passengers” was removed from the platform. She and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested in August after police found one of Franke’s children with open wounds after escaping from Hildebrandt’s home, and another one of her children in similar malnourished condition at Hildebrandt’s home.
Franke, who has been held without bail since her arrest, is pursuing “personal growth and rehabilitation” by apologizing to and trying to reconcile with members of her family, according to a statement released by her law firm Friday.
“Our client is working with the prosecutor’s office and anticipates resolving this matter quickly by entering a plea agreement with the court on Monday, December 18th,” the statement read.
The prominent child abuse case quickly became an internet spectacle this fall as it captivated online audiences and inspired a flurry of nonexpert takes across social media, including videos analyzing Franke’s old content for missed warning signs. It also highlighted the lack of legal protections nationwide for child influencers, an issue that has plagued the creator industry ever since family vlog content took off in popularity over the past decade.
Franke often collaborated on parenting and relationship advice videos with Hildebrandt for Hildebrandt’s life coaching service ConneXions, which has been criticized for its extreme teachings. Former clients told NBC News that the program pathologized patients’ behaviors as evidence of various addictions and encouraged people to cut off those who didn’t live in accordance with its teachings.
In Friday’s statement, lawyers for Franke said Hildebrandt “systematically isolated” Franke from her…
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