By Ellen Madden
The eldest child of Ruby and Kevin Franke, Shari Franke, was born on the 3rd of March 2003. She is the oldest of 6 children and was raised in Utah. When Shari was 11 years old, Ruby Franke created a YouTube channel in 2015 called “8 Passengers”, which gained 2.5 million subscribers. Due to the popularity, all moments of Sharis’ life were captured, from dances to bra shopping. This brought significant income to the Franke household, which the children reportedly never had access to. In 2021, Shari and her mother had a significant conflict over money and personal boundaries, which led to Shari not being able to contact her parents or siblings.
Following years of silence and estrangement, Shari chose to speak publicly about her experience. On the 7th of January 2025, Shari published her memoir, The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, which became a New York Times bestseller. This memoir reveals what it’s like being recorded around the clock and having those videos published online, the events that led to Ruby and her business partner being charged with six counts of child abuse for the younger two children, as well as other life events she endured.
Currently she is studying political science at BYU in Utah and is bringing awareness towards protecting children online, such as advocating for child-safety laws that will require parents to pay their children a percentage of the profits from content.