A body language expert has given an interesting insight into a chilling gesture that Ruby Franke made as she pleaded guilty to child abuse.
Ruby Franke once enjoyed popularity on her YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, where she chronicled life with her husband and their six children.
But in August 2023, everything unraveled when she was arrested on six counts of aggravated child abuse. Franke later pleaded guilty to four of those charges.
Insider reported that some viewers called child protective services in 2015 when their son Chad, then 15, said he had slept on a beanbag for seven months.
The allegations arose after a video surfaced, now deleted, where their teenage son revealed that sleeping on the beanbag for seven months was a punishment.
Franke and her husband claimed they offered Chad alternative sleeping arrangements, but he chose the beanbag.
The truth emerged when Franke’s 12-year-old son, wasted away and wounded, with duct tape covering his injuries, escaped the home in late August 2023. He knocked on a neighbor’s door and asked for help: “I was just wondering if you could do two favors? If you could take me to the nearest police station?”
This desperate plea prompted the involvement of authorities and led to Franke’s arrest.
Franke’s business partner, 54-year-old Jodi Hildebrandt, also pleaded guilty to her role in the abuse.
Now, Dr. G Explains on YouTube has weighed in after watching Franke plead guilty to the charges.
As the disgraced YouTuber pleads guilty, she notably blinks and appears to look down each time she speaks.
"A lot of what we're seeing from her are those eye closes, that intense stress she's feeling as she's pleading guilty to these crimes," Dr. G said.
He went on: "What we're not seeing is exaggerated body language. She's not doing anything that's really big, or anything that seems performative."
Dr. G noted that Franke was famed for her dramatic and animated reactions during her YouTube videos, and how she was acting in court was the complete opposite.
He went on to explain that she looks down after pleading guilty, and how this shows a "loss of confidence".
He further explained that there is an element of "shame" from Franke.
The overarching theme of the hearing is that Franke was "presenting" differently to how she is usually known.
Franke was sentenced to serve four terms of one to 15 years each, with the sentences to run consecutively, marking the maximum penalty for each count under Utah law.
Addressing the prison term of up to 60 years, she told the court: "I am humbled and willing to serve a prison sentence for as long as I need. I am committed to unlearning my toxic behavior.”
Ruby also acknowledged regret for distorting religious teachings, stating: "I sincerely loved these children... One of the reasons I didn’t go to trial is I didn’t want them to relive this."