Shari Franke, the eldest child of disgraced YouTuber Ruby Franke, revealed she’s dealt with serious mental health struggles following her mother’s arrest for aggravated child abuse this past summer.
“There’s literally not even words to describe how upside down my life has become,” the 20-year-old wrote in a recent post on her since-deleted Instagram account, per Law and Crime.
“I’ve cried, had an infinite number of panic attacks, had way too much ice-cream, and yet life goes on.”
Shari then shared how she has been able to stay afloat during these dark times, writing, “Therapy has literally saved me, but God has too.”
“My life is somehow more beautiful and fulfilling, despite all the terrible things going on,” she continued.
Shari added that even though most days she wants to “hide in [her] apartment,” she has tried to “live [her] life to the fullest” in the past few weeks.
Shari concluded by thanking those who have shown her support, writing, “Words can’t express the gratitude I feel for you all, and I feel your love.”
Ruby — who rose to prominence as a mommy blogger on the hit YouTube channel “8 Passengers” — was taken into custody on Aug. 30 after one of her “emaciated” children fled to a neighbor’s house, where the Good Samaritan placed a call to 911 to kickstart the investigation.
“I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here at my front door asking for help, and he said he just came from a neighbor’s house, and we know there’s been problems at this neighbor’s house,” the man told an emergency dispatcher at the time.
“He’s emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry, and he’s thirsty.”
Ruby Franke arrest: What you need to know
Ruby Franke was a “momfluencer” who had one of YouTube’s biggest channels, “8 Passengers,” which documented her and her husband, Kevin, and their six kids.
Franke was arrested on Aug. 30, 2023, on two counts of aggravated child abuse and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Franke’s arrest came after an emaciated child with duct tape around their extremities escaped and ran to a neighbor’s house for help.
Franke’s sisters released a joint statement saying they did everything they could to protect their nieces and nephews “behind the public scene” and that the arrest “needed to happen.”
Through a lawyer, Franke’s husband denied having any part in the abuse.
Franke in court accused one of her own children of sexually abusing a sibling for years.
YouTube has deleted Franke’s account and banned her from the platform.
After Ruby, 41, was arrested, her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, was also hit with child abuse charges. They have since been slapped with four additional counts of abuse each while behind bars.
Ruby’s estranged husband, Kevin Franke, who has proclaimed his own innocence via his attorney, has tried to come after Shari for burglary charges after his family’s scandal broke.
“Kevin stated that Shari is not allowed in the home, and that he believes she entered unlawfully, and he wants her charged with burglary,” a Utah police officer said in a report obtained by Fox News Digital.
The cop added that the patriarch “wanted to have his daughter charged with theft for taking some hard drives out of the house,” but Kevin was later informed that Shari “wasn’t aware” she was not allowed to have them and offered to bring them back.
Shari returned three tablets, three cellphones, three cameras, a stack of written journals and three passports to the Springville Police Department and was not charged with any crimes.
It’s unclear where Shari’s relationship with Kevin currently stands, but she is not the first of the Franke kids to have been accused of wrongdoing by one of their parents.
Ruby alleged during a court hearing in September that one of her children molested and abused another one of their siblings and neighbors for years. The child’s name was not disclosed.
Ruby faces up to 15 years in prison for her charges if convicted. Her case is ongoing.
