Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke
NZ release: 27 February 2025
Cruelty, offensive language, content that may disturb and domestic violence Rated on: 27 February 2025
What’s it about?
Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke follows the shocking downfall of a popular family vlogger. Ruby Franke, once known for sharing her family's life on YouTube, is arrested for child abuse in 2023. As her seemingly perfect image unravels, the documentary explores how her family’s relationship with counsellor Jodi Hildebrandt led them down a dark and troubling path.
***This content breakdown contains spoilers due to the series' harmful content.***
The facts
- Directed by Olly Lambert
- English language
- Runtime: Three episodes, around 51 minutes each
- Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is a true crime docuseries about the abuse Ruby Franke's children suffered under her and counsellor Jodi Hildebrandt’s control.
Why did it get this rating?
This docuseries was self-rated by Disney+ You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.
Cruelty, content that may disturb and domestic violence
We have broken this down into episodes as the content of the docuseries is confronting and could be very upsetting for viewers. It contains detailed descriptions of child abuse, domestic violence and psychological abuse.
Episode 1: "Abundance"
- Footage of a child knocking on a neighbour's door asking to be taken to a police station is shown. Later, the camera shows close-ups of his ankle and wrist restraints, along with his legs, revealing the signs of severe malnutrition. This video, along with others depicting the arrests of Ruby and Jodi and the discovery of another child in a closet, is shown repeatedly throughout the three episodes.
- Early signs of strict parenting methods are discussed, such as a child having to sleep on a beanbag in the basement for months.
- It touches on the family's association with Jodi, whose controversial counselling practices start influencing the family's dynamics. This includes some of her disciplinary methods such as tying up children and using cayenne pepper and honey to treat wounds, stemming from beliefs about demonic possession.
Episode 2: "Distortion"
- Detailed accounts of the harsh punishments imposed on the children, including deprivation of basic needs and isolation, are shown. Examples of this include:
- Children were tied up for a long period of time, leading to deep wounds and severe malnutrition.
- One child was forced to perform manual labour outdoors in extreme heat without proper protection, resulting in severe sunburns.
- It explores the increasing control of Jodi in the family's life, causing things like marital problems and the marginalisation of Kevin Franke, Ruby's husband.
- It also details the psychological manipulation and “brainwashing” tactics used by Jodi, affecting the whole family, and how she pushed the idea that the children were possessed.
Episode 3: "Truth"
- Graphic descriptions of the physical and emotional abuse endured by the children are revealed, including malnutrition and confinement. An example of this is:
- Children were forced to do degrading tasks, such as jumping into cactus plants multiple times as a form of punishment.
Offensive language
The series includes language, such as demeaning and threatening language directed at the children, with Ruby calling them "demonic" or "evil" and verbal threats of punishment. In some of the footage released Ruby can be heard yelling at the children and making these threats. This language highlights the psychological and emotional abuse they endured.
Helplines:
If you’re concerned about the immediate safety of you or someone else, call 111.
The descriptions of child abuse and real footage could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have suffered from abuse. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen or in real-life, please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:
Further information
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