Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke By Earl G. Cohen From YouTube stardom to a courtroom scandal that shocked the world — this is the chilling true story of Ruby Franke’s rise and devastating fall. Once celebrated as the face of “8 Passengers,” Ruby Franke built her brand on the image of a picture-perfect family. Millions of viewers tuned in for parenting advice, family routines, and the curated warmth of suburban life. But behind the polished thumbnails and moral lessons lay a much darker truth: a home ruled by control, manipulation, and suffering. When one of Ruby’s children escaped and made a desperate 911 call, the empire collapsed overnight. The arrest of Ruby Franke and her close associate Jodi Hildebrandt exposed years of abuse hidden in plain sight — a story of children silenced, an audience complicit, and a culture forced to reckon with the dark side of family vlogging. In this gripping narrative companion, Earl G. Cohen traces the full arc of the scandal: Ruby Franke’s carefully constructed public image and the cracks that first appeared. - The escalating influence of Jodi Hildebrandt and their disturbing partnership. - The hidden punishments, isolation, and suffering endured by Ruby’s children. - The dramatic escape that brought everything crashing down. - The trial that captivated the world, and the cultural fallout that followed. Told with emotional depth and investigative detail, Devil in the Family is more than a true crime account — it is a cultural reckoning. It examines how social media exploits children, how control masquerades as love, and how silence allows abuse to thrive. This book is for fans of 48 Hours , Dateline , or bestselling true-crime narratives. It is also for parents, teachers, and audiences who want to understand not only Ruby Franke’s downfall but what it reveals about our culture, our screens, and ourselves. Gripping, haunting, and deeply human — this is the true story of the devil in the family.