Brace yourselves because a chilling new docuseries is about to pull back the curtain on one of the most disturbing child abuse scandals in recent years. Investigation Discovery is set to release Ruby and Jodi A Cult of Sin and Influence on 1 September, and it promises to be as jaw-dropping as it is horrifying.
The four-part series will unpack the twisted relationship between former Mormon influencer and “mommy vlogger” Ruby Franke and disgraced therapist Jodi Hildebrandt. Together, they created a deeply disturbing environment inside Hildebrandt’s £4 million Utah mansion, where Franke’s children endured unimaginable abuse.
What started as family counselling turned into something far darker. The series will dig into how Hildebrandt manipulated her way into the trust of not only Franke but also the wider Mormon community through her ConneXions programme. With chilling archival and police footage, the show captures how Franke’s youngest daughter Eve, then just 10 years old, was found severely malnourished and locked inside a tiny closet.
The horrifying discovery came to light only after Franke’s 12-year-old son Russell managed to escape and run to a neighbour’s house, begging for food. The doorbell footage from that moment, along with the neighbour’s 911 call, will be featured in the documentary. “He is obviously covered in wounds, Ruby Franke is his mom’s name,” the caller tells emergency services in the spine-chilling audio.
What officers found inside the home was straight out of a nightmare—handcuffs, ropes, and cayenne pepper paste used to inflict pain. One officer is seen in bodycam footage on the verge of tears upon discovering Eve cowering in the closet.
And it gets even more disturbing. The show will feature first-hand testimony from Hildebrandt’s own niece Jessi, who exposes years of psychological manipulation and twisted ideology coming from her aunt. Through interviews with family members, journalists, and experts, the docuseries pieces together how Franke and Hildebrandt’s bizarre bond escalated into what many describe as cult-like control.
“The disturbing alliance between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt has captivated and horrified the public,” said Jason Sarlanis, president of Investigation Discovery. “This docuseries peels back the layers of that relationship… to explore the broader implications of family vlogging and the devastating impact of family abuse.”
Viewers can catch the two-night premiere on 1 and 2 September, from 9 to 11 p.m. ET on ID, with streaming also available on HBO Max. The trailer doesn’t hold back either, showing interviewees branding Hildebrandt “insidious” and even calling her a “cult leader.” One declares, “This was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
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The house where it all happened, a luxurious five-bedroom property in Ivins, UT, belonged to Hildebrandt. Both she and Franke pleaded guilty and were sentenced in February 2024 to up to 30 years in prison each. Hildebrandt had tried to put the house on the market for £4.1 million before her sentencing, but the sale was halted by a judge and didn’t see movement until March 2025, likely due to its horrifying history.
Ruby’s husband Kevin Franke, who was unaware of the abuse, filed for divorce not long after the truth emerged. Finalised in March, he was granted full custody of their four minor children and ownership of the family’s £1 million home in Springville, UT.
Once hailed as a wholesome family figure online, Ruby Franke now stands as a grim reminder of how appearances can be dangerously deceiving.