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Ruby Franke abuse pushes Utah to shift money, power from mommy bloggers to child influencers

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Ruby Franke abuse pushes Utah to shift money, power from mommy bloggers to child influencers


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The eldest daughter of disgraced Utah parenting blogger Ruby Franke has taken action to help protect other kids with a new child actor law in her home state.

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Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed the bill that Shari Franke helped promote, HB322, which gives certain payment and privacy protections to minors involved in entertainment, which could include traditional acting, i.e. acting in TV commercials, or acting in social media content.

“I have been working on drafting HB322 that would protect child influencers in our state,” Shari Franke said in a February Instagram post. “This bill would require parents to create a trust fund for their children and require parents to pay children a minimum amount. It would also allow children influencers, at 18, to have any content they appeared in to be removed from all social media platforms.”

Shari added that certain family bloggers and lobbyists in Utah are against the legislation, but wrote that “[i]f family vlogging is as good as ‘ethical’ family vloggers want you to think, they should not fear being mandated to pay their children (because they say the children are already being paid anyway).”

MOMMY BLOGGER RUBY FRANKE ASKED DAUGHTER FOR ONE THING BEFORE ARREST: MEMOIR

Shari Franke details the last word she said to her mother in her new memoir, “The House of My Mother.” (Handout)

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“And if children are supposedly consenting to being filmed, why fear the kids would want content removed once 18?” she wrote.

Shari’s support of HB322 is one of many actions she has taken to try and help protect the rights of children whose parents are social media influencers since her mother pleaded guilty to multiple counts of child abuse in 2023 and sentenced to years in prison.

MOMMY BLOGGER RUBY FRANKE’S HUSBAND SAYS ‘SOME CRAZY S–T’ WENT ON IN ABUSE ACCOMPLICE’S $5.3M FORTRESS

Blogger Ruby Franke pleaded guilty to child abuse in Utah. (Instagram/ moms_of_truth)

Democratic Utah State Rep. Doug Owens, who sponsored the bill, explained its purpose to Fox News Digital.

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“It’s a bill that has a couple different parts: one is it protects traditional child actors, like in the film industry or making commercials, [it] has their parents set aside 15% of their earnings for when they become an adult, and that is copying a number of other states,” Owens said. “And then it goes further and also includes protections for children in social media content.”

He added that it is “usually” children’s parents featuring kids in their content and, in turn, earning money from that content.

YOUTUBE MOMMY BLOGGER RUBY FRANKE, CO-HOST JODI HILDEBRANDT SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE: ‘DARK DELUSION’

Utah authorities found two malnourished and emaciated children at a home in Utah prior to arresting Franke and Hildebrandt. (Instagram/ moms_of_truth)

“It … requires the parents or other adult to save some of that money for the kids when they get to be an adult,” he said. “And then it also has a third part, which says that if you are a child in content creation, when you get to be an adult and you find that content embarrassing or emotionally damaging in some way, you can have that removed from the website later so that it gives kids some protection for when they get to be an adult.”

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“[I]f you are a child in content creation, when you get to be an adult and you find that content embarrassing or emotionally damaging in some way, you can have that removed.”

— Utah State Rep. Doug Owens

Ruby Franke, a 43-year-old mother of six, and Jodi Hildebrandt, a 55-year-old mother of two, ran a joint parenting and lifestyle YouTube channel called ConneXions Classrooms before they were arrested and pleaded guilty to four of six counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse in a St. George courtroom in December 2023.

UTAH POLICE DISCOVER ‘PANIC ROOM’ INSIDE ABUSIVE MOMMY BLOGGER ACCOMPLICE’S $5.3M DESERT HOME

Utah police found a “panic room” inside Jodi Hildebrandt’s $5.3 million Ivins home, where Ruby Franke sent her children to stay with Hildebrandt. (Washington County Attorney’s Office)

Utah authorities initially arrested Ruby Franke and Hildebrandt for abusing Franke’s two youngest children, a 9-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy, after Franke’s son approached a neighbor for help in 2022, and the neighbor called 911. Some of the abuse occurred in Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, Utah.

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911 CALL REVEALS SHOCK OF UTAH MOMMY BLOGGER’S ALLEGED CHILD ABUSE: ‘SHE’S A BAD LADY’

Prior to ConneXions, Ruby Franke ran a parenting vlog, or video blog, called 8Passengers, centered around her own family of six children and two parents. But the 8Passengers empire came crumbling down once users started to notice Franke’s unusual behavior and punishments for her children. Ruby Franke stopped posting to the 8Passengers YouTube channel after her last video was uploaded on June 5, 2019. 

In earlier videos without Hildebrandt, Franke complained about her children’s school using TikTok to teach dances, the dangers of sleepovers, bullying, and other topics. Some of her videos included her husband, including a “live couples workshop” about managing finances. (YouTube/ ConneXions)

Fox News is not aware of any evidence that Ruby Franke or anyone associated with 8Passengers engaged in any illegal conduct during the period she was actively vlogging on the 8Passengers YouTube channel.

Franke and Hildebrandt were both sentenced to serve up to 30 years in prison.

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Shari also wrote a memoir titled “The House of My Mother,” in which she explains how she and her siblings were listed as 8Passengers LLC’s “employees.”

Shari Franke explained how she tried for years to get the Department of Family and Child Services to take action against her mother in her memoir. (Hulu)

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In dozens of YouTube videos and social media posts, Franke and Hildebrandt coached parents in calm voices from a living room couch on how to raise their children in “truth.” In a video posted just before their arrests, Hildebrandt said pain can be a good thing for children of a certain age.

The case has prompted discussions about how parenting and lifestyle blogs often present only a sliver of a person’s or family’s reality, as well as children’s rights to their own privacy if their parent is a social media star.

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Judge grants bond to Utah soccer coach arrested by ICE

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Judge grants bond to Utah soccer coach arrested by ICE


The Utah man arrested by ICE and wrongly accused by Homeland Security of being a “sodomite and a child abuser,” was granted bond on Monday.

A hearing for Jair Celis was held virtually on Monday, with an additional hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Celis has been a popular soccer coach in Sandy, is married to a U.S. citizen, and has a baby boy who is also a U.S. citizen.

“The judge was very good,” said Adam Crayk, Celis’ attorney. “She just flat out said, ‘Look, I can’t consider something that’s a verbal representation. There’s been no filing here. There’s been nothing submitted to show anything other than exactly what his attorney is saying. And that is, look at all the years that he’s been here, look at all the people that are in favor of him.’”

Bond was granted for $5,000.

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Utah coach’s case escalates after DHS labels him ‘predator’ in viral post

Once the bond is paid, Crayk expects Celis to be back home in Utah by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Crayk says he still plans to seek legal action against Tricia McLaughlin with Homeland Security for insisting and publicly declaring Celis is a “sodomite and child abuser” when there is no evidence of that.





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Utah Jazz Learn Anthony Davis’ Official Status for Mavericks Game

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Utah Jazz Learn Anthony Davis’ Official Status for Mavericks Game


The Utah Jazz won’t be tasked with going up against Anthony Davis for their upcoming matchup vs. the Dallas Mavericks.

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According to head coach Jason Kidd, Davis has been downgraded to out for the Mavericks’ game vs. the Jazz due to a calf injury.

Davis was previously questionable heading into the night with a left calf contusion, having played the last nine games for the Mavericks following another calf injury that forced him out earlier in the season.

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And while, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, Davis was present for the Mavericks’ pre-game shootaround, the Dallas staff appears to be taking the safe approach with their star big man, and will keep him out of the action on the road in Salt Lake City.

Anthony Davis Ruled Out vs. Utah Jazz

In the 11 games that Davis has been on the floor for the Mavericks, he’s remained a strong impact player on both ends of the floor, averaging 20.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 51.7% shooting. His absence vs. the Jazz will mark his 15th missed game on the season, leaving him just three games shy of being ineligible for end-of-season awards.

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Losing him, no doubt, is a big missing piece for the Mavericks’ frontcourt for however long he’s out, especially on the defensive side of the ball, where he’s been commanding Dallas to a top-six defense through nearly the first two months of the regular season.

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Dec 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) walks back up the court during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Jazz, though, won’t be without a depleted frontcourt on their own side as well. Starting big man Jusuf Nurkic has been ruled out due to rest for his second missed game of the season, while of course, Walker Kessler remains out with his season-ending shoulder surgery.

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That means the Jazz will be set to start Kyle Filipowski as their starting center, surrounded by Ace Bailey and Lauri Markkanen in their frontcourt. Kevin Love and two-way signee Oscar Tshiebwe will remain their depth pieces at the five.

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For the Mavericks, they’ll be rolling with a big man rotation consisting of Daniel Gafford on a minutes restriction, as well as veteran Dwight Powell.

Tip-off between the Jazz and Mavericks lands at 7 p.m. MT in the Delta Center, as Utah will attempt to fire off win number two in a row after their win vs. the Memphis Grizzlies, and continue their strong play in front of the home fans they’ve shown thus far this season.

Be sure to bookmark Utah Jazz On SI and follow @JazzOnSI on X to stay up-to-date on daily Utah Jazz news, interviews, breakdowns and more!





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Why didn’t University of Utah Athletics put its private equity deal out for bid?

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Why didn’t University of Utah Athletics put its private equity deal out for bid?


SALT LAKE CITY — Browse the list of what the University of Utah is seeking bids for these days, and you’ll find it wants to buy parts for power systems and that it’s seeking someone to redevelop the old Fort Douglas military installation.

What you won’t find is requests to bid on its sports teams. Yet, on Tuesday, the campus announced it was essentially selling a stake in Ute athletics to Otro Capital — a New York City-based private equity firm.

It’s a deal worth $400 million or $500 million, according to various news outlets. Normally, when the U of U wants goods or services for anything costing as little as $10,000, it seeks bids posted to a public website.

“All this seems to be backdoor discussions without the public,” said Katherine Biele, president of the League of Women Voters of Utah.

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Biele said the league was not taking a position on whether private equity should be part of college sports. Its concern is transparency — how taxpayer money is used and how the deal could impact academics.

“Any kind of information helps,” Biele said. “When you keep everything private and behind closed doors, the public has no idea. And of course that’s where people get worried and confused.”

A U of U spokesperson on Friday said a public bid was not necessary because the new company will be owned by the University of Utah Foundation, an independent nonprofit. The foundation was acting on a directive issued by the university’s board of trustees earlier this year.

“The foundation reviewed many entities,” the foundation’s CEO, David Anderson, said in a statement, “including a large number of private capital firms that have experience in sports-related investments.”

Jerry McGinn, an expert on government and the director of the Center for the Industrial Base in Washington, DC, said it’s normal for government agencies to seek bids privately rather than publicly.

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“And the word in that community was likely pretty well known that Utah was looking to do something,” McGinn said.

Ben Rosa, an assistant professor of business economics at the University of Michigan, said the U of U may have sought private bids because it had good information about what its athletics are worth.

“But if they don’t,” Rosa said, “then, by not running an auction, by not requesting proposals publicly, they may have been giving up some value.”

University of Utah Foundation President David Anderson issued the following statement:

As you know, the university has been wrestling with the issues confronting our athletics programs for some time. Several months ago, university leaders, including the Board of Trustees, designated the university’s foundation to explore alternatives, potential impacts and whether a partner made sense, and if so, which one.
In consultation with trustees and university leaders, the foundation reviewed many entities, including a large number of private capital firms that have experience in sports-related investments. The foundation will oversee the partnership between Utah Brands & Entertainment and any final partner, including Otro.

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