After the police showed up to arrest Shari Franke’s mother, Utah YouTube vlogger Ruby Franke for aggravated child abuse, the oldest daughter first quickly came to a terrifying conclusion. “My initial thought,” Shari recalled in an interview with PEOPLE for this week’s print story, “was that my brothers and sisters were dead.”
A year earlier, Ruby, a devout Mormon, renounced Shari and asked her husband and older son Chad to move out after hooking up with therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, who advocated strict parental discipline.
Ruby, 42, later admitted in a plea deal that she abused her two youngest children, telling them they were “evil and possessed,” denying them food and water, handcuffing her son’s wrists and ankles and holding his head under water.
Ruby and Kevin Franke and their children.
On February 20, 2024, she and Hildebrandt, who also pleaded guilty, were both given four consecutive sentences ranging from one to 15 years in prison.
For more on Shari Franke and her story, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.
Franke, now 21, shares her story in her new memoir My Mother’s House: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedomwhich describes the abuse she and her siblings suffered at the hands of Ruby. “I don’t think she’ll ever fully understand or understand what she did,” says Shari, who is no longer in a relationship with Ruby. Now she refuses to talk about her siblings’ lives to protect their privacy. “I just hope she can get the help she needs.”
Below, in an exclusive excerpt shared with PEOPLE, Shari recounts what happened when she called child protective services in an attempt to protect her siblings.
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‘My Mother’s House’ by Shari Franke.
Ruby’s face contorted in anger and hurt. “I can’t believe you called the police on me,” she began, raising her voice. “After all I’ve done for you, after all the sacrifices I’ve made. How could you betray me like that, Shari? How could you be so selfish?”
The words hit me like physical blows, but I stood my ground. [I reminded myself] that I wasn’t alone, that I had support outside the toxic network of my family.
“Selfish?” I repeated, finding strength in my voice. “I took care of the children. They were alone for five days, mom. Five days!”
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“They’re fine,” Ruby snapped. “They are old enough to take care of themselves. This is about you, Shari. Your jealousy, your need for attention.” I felt a bubble of hysterical laughter rising in my throat. How could she twist this, make it about me? But then, wasn’t that always her way?
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Shari Franke today.
MANICA PROJECT
“This isn’t about me,” I said, my voice calmer than I felt. “It’s about the safety of my brothers and sisters. It’s about doing what’s right.”
Ruby’s eyes flashed dangerously. “What’s wrong? You have no idea what is right. You’re just a child playing grown-up. Your brothers and sisters are now terrified of you because you called the police on them.”
Ruby’s face hardened and her lips curled into a sneer. “One day, Shari, you’ll crawl back to me. He begs me for forgiveness. And it will be hard for me to give it to you, but I will be merciful.”
“I won’t apologize for telling the truth,” I said in a low but firm voice.
Inside the Ruby Franke Case: YouTube Mom Kicked Husband Out, Talked to Him ‘3 or 4 Times’ in a Year (Exclusive)
I felt tears running down my face, hot and sticky on my cheeks.
“You always hated me,” she whispered. “Even when you were five years old, I saw it in your eyes. The way you looked at me, the way you judged me. You never appreciated everything I did for you, all the sacrifices I made.”
“That’s not true,” I choked. “I never hated you, mom. I was just afraid of you.”
From My Mother’s House: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke. Copyright © 2025 Shari Franke. Reprinted by permission of Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC
My Mother’s House: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom Shari Franke is out on January 7th and is available for pre-order now wherever books are sold.
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