Bonnie Hoellein believes Kevin Franke was complicit in her sister Ruby Franke’s alleged abuse of their six children.
“The one person that could have done something within his legal right was Kevin,” the Utah-based YouTuber said in a video released Wednesday that was titled, “I am not my sister. I am not my Sisters [sic] Crimes.”
Hoellein claimed she had “zero” contact with Kevin, adding, “It was Kevin’s job to check in on things and he did not.”
The vlogger went on to allege that Kevin, Ruby, her sister’s business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, and ConneXions had been “destroying [their] lives for years offline.”
“Causing turmoil within our families,” she added.
In the nearly 10-minute video, Hoellein insisted that only Kevin could fix what was going on inside his household because, from her perspective, “nothing made sense.”
“What he was doing all that time when Ruby and him were separated is beyond me,” she added. “I will not let Ruby and Kevin and ConneXions and Jodi take one more thing away from me. I will continue to post because if that is what tiny control I have left, I’m going to take it.”
Attorneys for Kevin and Ruby did not immediately return Pvnew’s request for comment on the claims Hoellein made in her new video.
However, Kevin has previously denied via his lawyer that he played any role in his kids’ alleged abuse.
“He’s a very gentle guy, and no one’s ever made any allegations that he’s ever physically abused those kids or anyone else,” Randy S. Kester told “Good Morning America” last week.
“He just wants to do what’s best for his kids and get them back, get them under his tutelage and his fathership and protect them.”
Ruby was arrested on Aug. 30 over suspicions of aggravated child abuse.
She and Hildebrandt were then charged with four additional counts of child abuse for allegedly causing or permitting “serious physical injury to the victims in three different ways: (1) a combination of multiple physical injuries or torture, (2) starvation or malnutrition that jeopardizes life, and (3) causing severe emotional harm,” according to the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
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.
This is not the first time Ruby’s sister has spoken out about the damning claims made about her sibling.
Earlier this month, Hoellein insisted that she and her family did “as much as [they] could” to protect her nieces and nephews.
“My sisters and I, we are on the very same page. … and for the last three years we have truly clung onto each other, offering support to one another, and I don’t think any of us could have ever seen this coming,” she said at the time.
“We all did as much as we could legally, and you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Ruby’s family have also said they want the disgraced “8 Passengers” host to be behind bars “forever” if she is convicted of aggravated child abuse.
Ruby’s attorney did not immediately return Pvnew’s request for comment.
