Ruby Franke's eldest daughter has expressed her sadness over the holidays, saying the festive season is full of “mixed emotions” as she eagerly awaits the outcome of her mother's child abuse conviction.
Shari Franke, 20, shared an adorable throwback snap of herself posing in front of a Christmas tree as a little girl.
But as the world now knows, the picture-perfect scene belied a family life filled with heartache at the hands of their disgraced YouTuber mother, who pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation last week.
“The holidays are full of mixed emotions for me. “I'm so grateful for all the memories I have to capture (as pictured above), and I'm also excited for the memories I know I can make,” Shari wrote.
And in a touching show of support, her aunt Julie Griffiths Deru – Franker's sister – promised to help her “continue to make new memories”.
Shari Franke, 20, revealed her struggles over the holidays as she reflects on her abusive childhood at the hands of YouTuber mother Ruby Franke, who is awaiting sentencing for child molestation
Shari shared a throwback in which she explained her complex feelings about this time of year and said she was “looking forward to the memories I know I can make.”
Her Instagram post received support from her aunt and Franke's sister, Julie Deru, who offered to help her make new memories
The vlogger mom's spectacular fall from grace began after one of her children escaped the family home in Utah and sought help from a neighbor, who immediately noticed he was covered in sores and malnourished
Deru acknowledged that her “traditions may be different now,” but offered to stand by her side.
The family's life was turned upside down after the full extent of the neglect and abuse of Franke's children came to light when one of her children ran away to a neighbor and sought refuge.
The disgraced Mormon mother struck a deal four months after her malnourished children were found in her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt's Utah home. She is currently facing up to 60 years in prison.
The business partners were arrested earlier this year after one of Franke's six children escaped from the Ivins home and ran to a neighbor's house, where he knocked on the door and asked for food and water.
Her conviction has made headlines around the world thanks to Franke's carefully crafted role as a parenting expert on her YouTube channel, 8 Passengers.
But her brand collapsed after it emerged that the horrific allegations against her were true, including that she had starved her children and bound them with rope and tape.
Franke, 45, was taken into custody after two of her children, ages 10 and 12, were found starved with open wounds and tape on their “extremities.”
The escaped boy told prosecutors that his mother and Hildebrandt also dressed their wounds with honey and cayenne pepper, both of which were found in the house during a search.
Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation and is currently awaiting sentencing, where she could face up to 60 years in prison
Ruby Franke (left), who ran the now-defunct channel 8 Passengers, was arrested on August 30 along with her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt (right).
The allegations against Franke and her business partner included that she bound her children with rope and duct tape and treated their wounds with honey and cayenne pepper
Police were called after a child climbed out the window of Hildebrandt's home and ran to a neighbor asking for food and water.
The neighbor saw the child's wounds and immediately called 911 before another child was found “in a similar physical condition of malnutrition.”
Shari, who had also suffered abuse, had managed to escape from the House of Horrors years ago. She had distanced herself from her mother and father Kevin and revealed that she had been trying to alert authorities to the situation “for years.”
She said her life was “turned upside down” after news of her estranged mother’s arrest broke.
At the time, she posted on Instagram about her mother's arrest and shared a picture of police officers outside the house with the caption, “Finally.”
But just two days later, Shari found herself in trouble again after her father called the police to report her for allegedly stealing computer drives.
A statement from Franke's sisters said they “have kept quiet about the issue of our sister… for the sake of their children.” Pictured: Julie Griffiths Deru
Franke's sisters Bonnie Hoellein (left) and Ellie Mecham (right) are also YouTubers. Since then, they have distanced themselves from their siblings
The family exploded on social media after they began posting videos in 2015, although Franke's harsh parenting style often drew criticism
The couple's home in Springville, Utah, was the scene of years of child abuse, from which Shari escaped as a teenager
Her father then initiated divorce proceedings against his wife following the allegations, citing different parenting styles.
The couple has six children together: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve.
During the trial, Franke tried to shift blame onto her business partner, 54, insisting that she had been manipulated by Hildebrandt, who was also charged earlier this year.
Franke also made shocking claims that one of her minor children had sexually abused her siblings and molested several other family members and children in the neighborhood over the years.
The allegations have increased anticipation for Hildebrant's next court date in just a few days.
Franke's three sisters, including Deru, have now come out and distanced themselves from their sibling.
Ellie Mecham, Bonnie Hoellein and Deru said they kept quiet about the abuse out of concern “for her sake.” [Franke’s] Children].
Franke's strict parenting style has been met with backlash since the channel launched in 2015.
Viewers called Child Protective Services in 2020 after her 15-year-old son Chad claimed he slept on a bean bag chair for seven months.
Franke also threatened to throw away her children's belongings if they didn't pay her cash for them, claiming it was a lesson in understanding the value of their belongings.