Sherry calling her Ruby and not mom speaks volumes. My kids do the same thing to their father who abused them. I am so proud of Sherry for this book and speaking her truth. I hope she makes tons of money from it!
@@beth4485 Well not always - my brother calls our parents by their first names and has done so since he was about 6 or 7. There has never been abus ive or toxic behaviour in our family, it is just how my brother processes things that's a bit different. But in this case, obviously yes! Ruby does not deserve to be called a mom, ever.
The weird thing is that according to Shari's book (I read it this morning), Kevin only wanted to have one or two kids and it was actually Ruby who insisted on having such a big family.
That and because she wants people she can control. She seems very dominant and sadistic; if she hadn't grown up Mormon, she would have been thriving as a dominatrix
I don't think he's forgotten I think everyone i is doing the right thing by giving him total privacy.... Shari is an adult so she's in much better position to speak on her experience.
Why do i have a feeling Bonnie will write her own book telling her side and how she's the victim of her sister. I'm a ghost writer, have been since 1999, and i have written some real eye opening stories Very telling how Shari calls her Ruby. She's disassociated her mother as a mom.
@@liandajane3207 it is illegal for them to “bank on their crime” so they can’t write a book or make a movie that the main topic is about the crime itself. But people like gypsy can write about their life. Just not the crime itself. Something like that.
Every time I hear that neighbours voice after calling the Police and explaining the state that Russell is in, it breaks my heart all over again. The horror in that elderly gentleman’s voice tells you everything you need to know. I truly hope that all the children are doing better and I also hope that this neighbour is doing ok 😢
I know, that poor man. He was trying so hard to keep it together for Russell, not using the word abused or going into detail on the horror he was witnessing. God bless him ❤
The fact that Kevin isn’t in trouble for any of this is insane. The abuse started when he lived in that house. He’s just working with the state at this point to get the public eye off him.
Because they are following the teachings of the Mormon Church that they can spank the Heck out of their children including taking things away from them and Ex-Communicating them. Maybe not what Ruby and Jody did to them later.
Kevin wasn’t around during the abuse ruby is in jail for. He clearly has issues but it’s ridiculous to claim he is responsible for abuse that happened while he wasn’t around. No mother would be held to the same standard.
@ correct. But he was around for the years and years of alleged abuse beforehand. Knowing your wife is hitting, abusing the kids and not leaving or doing anything about it makes you just as guilty.
@@jessicakatz9278 right. Isn't it totally odd, that Shari conveniently leaves out her dad in this. There are no questions of, well where was your father when any of this was happening? Very, very odd.
@@jessicakatz9278exactly reading this book, Kevin needed to put his foot down, even when Ruby shaves Chad had as a little boy or pops Shari for piano. Kevin either was checked out or too soft. Kevin needed to leave & take the kids years & years ago
My husband and I grew up with abusive parents and I never want my kids to feel they need to work for love and acceptance. We try to always reassure them that our home is safe and love is unconditional. We never want them to experience what we did. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
As a mom, I can’t imagine. But as I child I lived it. I tell my son all the time that he is safe and loved, and he has no clue how much value I put in those words.
Icu nurse here... Josh, I wanted to tell you that you opened my eyes to the family vloggers in this world like many others. Thank you for your work here! Never stop! And side note you deliver your points perfectly and the humor you add at times makes it even better!! Tyson as editing... again GREAT WORK! I've worked 21 years in icu and nurse for 31years and that nurse Hannah... should not have a license in ANY state! Even if she doesn't say patient's names...people can put together where she works and situations. It makes me sick things she has done in so many ways. Oh, I could go on and on...
She reminds me of someone who became a nurse because of the earning potential, which to me is odd because you can make more money with less schooling but I digress. I don't think I have ever heard her talk about how much she cares about her patients or why she got into the profession.
ICU nurses are amazing. Saved my life. Post op complications after brain surgery resulting in cerebral salt wasting with blood salt levels at 103. And acute kidney injury stage 2. Surgery failed. I had an ETV. Now have a VP shunt to treat my hydrocephalus
I just had a ⚡ thought... even the name 8 passengers is pretty telling... passengers on trains are just strangers forced to ride together until they reach their destination...the word passenger is cold and distant, not something people normally describe their family as
Definitely get concentration camp vibes almost. Like the train that went to Auschwitz. She very much drove that train with her family straight to hell.
I know Shari wants a private life and to start a family which she totally deserves but I hope she will continue to advocate for victims of child exploitation.
I’m happy for Shari, I’m so glad she hired a ghost writer, her book will be a best seller and she deserves it!! She is getting her point across and people are listening.
I bought the hardcover book and it was delivered last night about 7pm and I'm already on page 75 beginning chapter 14! I can't put this book down! I'm up just to start reading her book again!! I've been here since the beginning! I'm pretty sure I am in your first 5,000 subscribers! Good job for being the first to call Ruby out years ago!!😊
@@kristietaylor7954 I finally put it down last night about 2am and I only read a few chapters this morning till I had to leave! I'm now sitting down to read more!!
To forgive someone isn't always for that person, sometimes it's for the person affected/abused by them. To forgive someone for yourself is releasing all that pain and angry so it no longer weighs you down. It allows the victim to move on with their life. It doesn't mean that the abusers wrong doings are erased.
Completely true. I had to do this because the anger was eating me alive. I forgave my mother because I needed to have peace in my own soul. However, this did NOT mean I had to let her back into my life.
@@AllegedlyMaybe It definitely is hard but so worth it when a person can. I have had to do it is a different situation and for months, my life was awful until I realized that I needed to forgive and the next morning, I woke up like a new person. You will never forget what was done but to have it not holding you down anymore is the greatest part of healing and moving on.
@@SharpLife4 very good point. the internet is a great tool but the down side is it destroyed much of society, communication...........it created that mob mentality, cancel culture. the amount of suicides due to online bullying is so awful.
I appreciate that Shari does not call her mother "mom." She refers to her as Ruby. I hope Shari has received and continues to receive all the help she needs. I'm sure writing this book was extremely therapeutic.
The first time I remember, feeling icky about 8 passengers was a seemingly innocent video. All the kids were at school except for the two youngest. And her youngest son was helping her in the kitchen and he took out a casserole dish or something that was too heavy and dropped it. I don’t even think it broke. I just think it was heavy on her wood floors. And the look on this child’s face was so desperately scared. Ruby assured him, of course, on camera, over and over and over again that she wasn’t upset that she was happy he wasn’t hurt. She didn’t care about the pan, didn’t care about her floors, that she “would rather have her son that floors.” But you could tell by the way this child stiffened immediately, the look on his face, he was near a panic attack and couldn’t even meet Ruby’s gaze. I’ve never, ever forgotten it to this day. His face literally haunts me. It was one moment in an uneventful video many years ago, but Ruby was probably praised for how she handled it in camera, but I know in my soul he was punished mercilessly off camera. Then the Girffiths siblings came out with a Q&A video in which they told a story that was eerily similar to what I watched unfold on Ruby’s video. They mentioned that they had broken something in their mother’s kitchen and she said “it’s OK I’d rather have you guys than xyz.” And I went ahhhh, there it is. The learned behavior.
One part that broke my heart was when she said Nollie would lay at her feet during her piano practices and just reassured her she was with her, whilst Ruby abused her. Or when Ruby said she wasn't her friend. Clearly, that woman only had kids for her religious duties, and has forever created a complex relationship regarding religion for her kids. Especially the two youngest.
I don’t even think she had kids solely for religion. I think she had kids for the status in her religion. It was about what it would do for her and what it would reward her with.
I pre ordered this book ages ago and it arrived last night. Only read 2 chapters and I'm blown away, she's so level headed and insightful. I've been through a lot, and I totally relate to some of the things she's described
living for this coverage!! im reading the book too. cant wait for you to cover bonnie again soon. she posted an appalling video for her daughters dance date and it was sooo bad.
I just watched an episode of yours from 2 years ago where you interview Jordan and Mckay, and you discuss Ruby taking away Christmas from the two youngest, among other things. It chilled me to the bone to know that in the future those would be the two kids getting tortured aswell... Wild to watch old covereage of 8P knowing how everything unfolded. I'm both dreading and looking forward to reading Shari's book.
My mother in law, who I haven’t spoken to in 7 years thank God, was OBSESSED with connections and Jodi. We even met with her once and man the things she said. I have so many stories and screens shots from things my mother in law believe and said. So crazy. I’m glad Sheri is speaking out.
@ I will gladly share it all! I spent so many years being quiet about her and my husband spent his whole life being abused and silenced. To this day, his mom still uses Jodi’s teachings. She was defending her in their Facebook group all the way until they were sentenced.
@@avatarlover1111The LDS church in Louisville, Kentucky had several members very active in ConnXions. They still believe their teaching. Bonnie used the Mormon Blanket Training and shared it in her own blog! Very very narcissistic and pathological, Bonnie and her husband too.
I think you are amazing person & this will forever stay with me this story. Heartbreaking! This abuse has ruined all 6 kids! I hope they can heal as much as possible!♥️
So I got the audiobook and listened to it whole today. It is fantastically well ballanced, personal and honestly (I dont use it lightly) triggering. It is an incredibly brave account and in my eyes Shari can just relax now, she's done more than enough good for the world for one person.
Well I bet Ruby feels REALLY inconvenienced now.😂😂😂 Ruby and Jodi will be seething in jail after having Good Morning America reach out and comment about Shari's book. Kevin is absolutely not innocent in this, he ditched his kids. I hope his conscience is eating his soul up outside of jail because he doesn't deserve peace in any day of his life for what he did...or didn't do for that matter.
I ordered Shari’s book. I-never order a new book but Shari deserves whatever money she can get from this book. I hope she knows how loved she is. I’m so sorry to all of the kids. Their Mom may not have loved them the way they deserve to be loved but many of us love them. I send all my Momma love to the children. I pray they can grow up feeling loved. ❤️❤️
Got the audio version of the book and binged it in a day. Can't wait for you to finish it and then talk on it. Sheri hugely opened Pandoras box to her life and helped answer questions that many people had.
I hope the kids will find healing and peace. Kevin the father needs to face a trial too- he let it happen and abandoned his children. I heard the 4 minor children are in foster care now.
Ruby was always a controlling psycho, things didnt get "culty" until Jodi came into play, Sherri said herself that Ruby was very physical beforehand. Soooo Kevin was okay with her starving the kids and hitting them but the lesbian stuff was too much? Gtfoh he should be prosecuted right alongside those two demons 😡😡
I have been evacuated from my LA childhood home. My family and pets are safe, far away now. Please hope and pray for my city La Canada. Thank you DCP for another great video I can distract myself with. Hoping and praying everyone in California is somewhere safe tonight ❤🙏🏻
Shari not calling Ruby mom but calling her “Ruby” speaks volumes. I’ve watched 8 passengers since E was 2 years old. I was a kid, with a ton of siblings too, so I was interested in seeing their life. There were two moments that made me feel sick to my stomach. When Ruby refused to bring E lunch because she forgot to pack it, no mother would ever do that. When they got into the accident and R was visibly shaking and crying, and Ruby proceeded to film him and say “we should have been in that accident”. I finished watching that video, not all the way through, and immediately stopped watching them. The face she would make when Chad, A, and J would talk about not having any friends in school, made me angry, but also broke my heart. I feel sick to my stomach knowing I watched them for a few years, but glad I stopped before the whole Connexions situation.
There was also a Christmas where some of the children ( the two youngest, possibly?) didn’t get any presents because they had done something Ruby deemed unacceptable. I thought that was really cruel for a really minor infraction. Oh, and Chad pranking his brother ( waking him up early and have him pack for a non existent trip to Disney Land/World) meant he had to sleep on a beanbag in the lounge was also absolutely awful.
Yeah, absolutely awful, and there’s so much more behind the camera that happened. I get Ruby and Kevin disciplining Chad for pranking R, but taking away his bed (a necessity) for 7 months is cruelty, and not discipline. And Ruby making the youngest watch while the other children opened their gifts made me heartbroken.
It’s also a Mormon thing to not call police. I know that my in-laws would be like that too. Try to work things out through family and church, don’t get anyone else involved because it can make the family and church look bad.
Agree I know a family the husband threatened to kill his wife the church got a member to talk to him instead of getting him real help and 2 nights later he killed her then himself leaving a few kids orphaned
Just ordered her book yesterday and it came in last night, can’t wait to read it! I can’t believe I went from watching 8 passengers as a child, to be invested in the Ruby Franke case to now reading Shari’s book! The reality of family vlogging has made me realize that I watched these families as a kid thinking they were perfect because it was an escape from my abusive dysfunctional family. I can see now that it really is anything but perfect and is damaging/exploitative.
It’s crazy because Jodi was in rubys life like 3 years before we were even aware of who it was telling them to do these things to their children. She slowly pushed Kevin out and got rubys trust
Very brave of Shari for telling as much of her story as she was ready to at this time. I believe she will write a second book as she continues to heal and is older, and that will come out with the majority, if not all of the truth, bcuz I don’t think she’s quite there yet, especially bcuz she’s still so connected to the church. But this is a huge step and it’s going to help many people and especially children in these situations whether they’re on RUclips or not.
12:25 I remember that Christmas and it absolutely broke my heart. She took Christmas away from the little kids, when the magic is extra special, and had them watch the older kids open gifts. Absolutely heartbreaking. As a mom of 4, I never watched her channel but knew of her (moreso from creators making content about her), and one of my biggest pet peeves is using food as a weapon and withholding it as punishment. Food is a basic necessity. How many times do we wake up for a midnight snack because we’re hungry? No adult or child ever has to ask for permission to eat something in my house. All of my kids friends know where the snack cabinet and drink fridge is. If you’re hungry, then eat. The story of her letting her 6 year old go hungry at school, and then hoped no one would feel bad for her and give her food, because SHE was responsible for packing her own lunch, killed me. A 6 year old is still a baby and shouldn’t be responsible for packing their own lunch and then suffer if they forget it. Maybe it’s crazy but I always pack extra snacks in my kids lunch bags just in case there’s a kid who forgot their lunch or snack or if they’re in a situation like the Franke kids.
Bonnie must be shaking in her boots right now and rightfully so…the “adults” in that family are toxic vile creatures that all need to be stopped from using their children as paychecks.
Shari is young and still in Utah. She first shed her immediate family cult, then extended family cult. I believe Josh is right and someone as much of a truth teller as she is will find her way out if the LDS cult. But it won't come overnight, she needs to heal first. As an ex-mormon who broke generational CSA and physical abuse, I have a huge soft spot for Shari and she's in my prayers.
Good for you! With all my heart I am glad you escaped. My husband taught high school in a community with many devout Mormons. I had many students confess things to me as I volunteered at the school. The infant-blanket training.The pre-school hours at Mormon Bible. The absolute devotion to Rtump to this day. Devout Republicans to the last parent and the committing family to be together forever. The children and teens were so scared and unprotected and had to answer to the men in the church. The bishop was terrifying.
Yeah, I think she will too eventually, but it's currently a crutch for her. Listening to the audio book seems like she has some awareness of the issues with the church but just not able to fully connect the dots. One step at a time though.
How funny that Bonnie just had a video going to Florida again, probably trying to leave because Sherry's book came out. Can't wait to see you're vide on that!!
I’ve been waiting for this to drop! Also, out of all the Griffiths family vloggers, Ellie & Jared are the only ones who seem to of stopped vlogging their kids. It’s also really interesting that in the GMA interview, Shari refers to her mom as Ruby. As a mom, this is the biggest kick in the teeth she can do to her wicked, wicked mom.
I also find Julie has drastically cut her vlogs down especially not including the kids. You may hear their voices periodically. Bonnie has doubled down on her vlogs and exposure of her kids.
whats interesting about it? im sure she hasnt referred to the beast as her "mom" for years. and honestly its not the "biggest kick in the teeth she could do" either. being called a mom doesnt make you holier than thou in anyones eyes, not even your child's. calm down
I got the book yesterday and I’m on page 200! It’s crazy. The reason Chad went to wilderness camp is INSANE not what i thought it would’ve been. And keep reading, Jodi and ruby are caught red handed. We were all right about their relationship that’s all I’m going to say…
Shari is so strong, she has been cut off from all of her family but still has the strength to be advocating for herself and her siblings and trying to build a new life for herself. Imagine the conversations/arguments she has had with her aunts and grandparents… so sad she didn’t get any support from them and they continue to vlog their own children.
Such an important and good video! Love that you’re sharing this super important message! Now, please do a video on Nika Diwa I am waiting every day for the video on her!! Please please
Shame on Kevin, rubys siblings and parents and ANY adult who knew the early signs of abuse of those kids like slapping them on the mouth and doing nothing about it and preventing the even darker stuff from happening. Shame on them. Their judgment days won’t be as beautiful as they imagine in their delusional heads.
I’m about 4 hours into the audiobook and my heart goes out to all the children. So proud of Shari for giving that experience her voice. Horrifying. A living nightmare. I wish her and the rest of her siblings all the best of life, far from harm and sadness.
I started the book after work yesterday and finished it! A lot of feels as an Ex-mo who is now a mother with a daughter. My heart broke for her so many times and I wish her nothing but the best.
I read it in one go today and I now just really want 2025 be the year we all stop clicking on family vlogging channels, I think Shari exposed just how hollow and fake all of 8 Passengers videos were especially with all Ruby telling the kids how to feel, what to do and say in the video content.
This book is an absolute treatise. If this doesn’t convince society that kids don’t belong featured in vlogs, I’m not sure what will. The grit and nuance of this story is incredible. This young person is going to change a part of this world. Also, I hate that she’s spending her precious youth dismantling all this crap. Meanwhile, her aunt has doubled down on the family vlogging grift. Amazing the trauma that has to come after the trauma….from your own dang family.
10:29 Lets not forget Bonnie is now home schooling her oldest daughter. Her daughter Olivia has said on a number occasions that she doesn't want to be home schooled. Also, there are 4 sisters. Ruby, Bonnie, Julie and Ellie. Bonnie and Ellie were best sisters They did everything together, even had their clothing business BOLLIE BRAND. Ruby and Julie were best sisters. They seemed to be more conservative than Bonnie and Ellie. Each pair matched as far as views and energy. I remember watching a vlog that had Ruby in it when Ruby was about 2 years old. She was cooking with her mother Jennifer. Ruby was sitting on the bench top and did something like most little children would do and her mother Jennifer, grabbed both of Ruby's hands lent in and reprimanded Ruby through her gritted teeth. It was very abrupt and concerning to see Jenifer cooking with her 2 year old Ruby and laughing one minute and then morphing in a blink into a tyrant. I can't find the vlog now it seems it was taken down. Does anyone else remember seeing their old home videos from the 80's?
@@f.lo.w1622 I really can't remember. What I do remember though is thinking that Jennifer has two extreme sides. I remember there also being another vlog by either Bonnie or sister Julie &co where they said that Ruby came to them and said something about how poorly her parents treated them all when they were little. They went as far as to make a vlog about it as damage control. It seems they gaslit Ruby and said it never happened. The video of Jennifer cooking with little Ruby told a different story. Jenifer was rough with Ruby. Ruby confronted Jenifer about it and the family gaslit Ruby and then mocked her in a vlog. It seems that in this family, money is more valuable than flesh and blood. Now, I am never going to make excuses for Ruby but Monkey see, monkey do comes to mind.
I listened to the entire thing on Audible yesterday... her strength in what she’s been through is pretty amazing. If you’re not far in just be warned it gets so much worse 😢 She certainly did not hold back. My heart goes out to her and I truly hope she can break the cycle.
Ruby didn’t need Jodi to be cruel and heartless. Jodi provided Ruby more ‘muscle’ and provided Ruby more tools, approaches, terminology and techniques to make her cruelty more effective and intense - to inflict the utmost damage on her children.
Yeah, I agree that back in the early days of social media, people didn’t necessarily realize how their posts, videos, and pictures would be out there for anyone to see. When I first had my oldest kids, I shared a lot about them on my social media thinking it was just being shared with friends and family. Around 2019 or so, and things started coming out about the negatives of all of this, I took everything down, and saved it on my hard drive. I don’t share my kids online at all anymore. I want them to be able to decide what they want about them on the internet when they are old enough to actually understand what that means.
I think we missed part of the story with Ruby and Bonnie. What was their childhood like? Something happened to them to cause them trauma to do this. This is not normal, and they had to experience something. I think the Griffiths are afraid something is going to drop on them.
You can't really believe everything you read, but I was reading through comments on a video and someone commented that they were a family friend of grandma Griffith. She said she grew up around her and said she was very mean. Makes you wonder! The taking away the dinner thing is an older generation punishment and I believe was taught to Ruby.
Yeah I think we can assume there was some pretty authoritarian parenting and corporal punishment that was common of that generation of parents, but with them it was likely much harsher. It would explain a lot.
I have suspicions Shari has held back there. She talks a few times about her mother saying “we can be friends when you have a baby”, and alludes that this may have also been the case with Ruby and her own mother. Ruby being made to take care of younger siblings, etc, I think she is alluding to there being not a lot of emotional support or nurturing in the mother/daughter relationships through the family generations
I still want to hear from the neighbor where the boy ended up after running away. We heard the emergency call. But he mentioned Jodie (?) was a bad person. Like he knew about her before the kid ended up on his porch.
What baffles me, is I thought her grandparents seemed so “normal “… how did their children turn out so messed up in their thought processes? Makes me now wonder their childhoods too. I’ll never get or understand this type of behavior or abuse and how anyone would think it’s okay, the trauma these kids endured at the hands who are supposed to love and protect. Sick.
I still dont understand how Kevin gets a pass. He was involved with the channel and saw what Ruby was doing, and then neglected his kids for a year. And its all ok? Kevin is just as bad as Ruby's siblings. Even worse since he was in the home. Not defending Bonnie but they have went to Florida this time of year for 3 years now. The book or not that was planned.
If you read the book, Jodi really messed with him. She was a church sanctioned mental health professional who abused his trust. He should have done more, but I see where his limitations were. Jodi made him believe he was having disgusting thoughts about his kids.
I think Kevin was also a victim. Maybe it’s because I have seen what Mormonism does to families. I can believe Kevin truly thought he was the issue and his family was better off without him until he got help for his addiction.
I bought this book yesterday and was up half the night finishing it. Sheri is quite the author with a beautiful way of expressing her insights. Her writing is poignant, heartfelt, and reveals a wisdom only learned from experience and therapy. It's definitely pulled the curtain back to reveal the inner dynamics of this family. The dysfunction is profound and leaves each one of them deeply scarred. It is stunning the path of destruction two people can create.
Feb 27 is a documentary coming out on the family. Chad is giving some sneak peeks and answering some questions about the upcoming documentary. He said he is excited for Kevin to tell his side of the story. I hope you cover it for us. You have such a good take on this subject.
I find it surprising that Shari is still LSS and praises the church. It seems to me like they have a real problem with children being abused and the church won’t even speak out against it. Jodi and Ruby were using religion as an excuse to torture and nearly kill children and the church not only failed to intervene but can’t even release a statement that abusing children is wrong.
I think she'll leave soon enough. So many things in the book made me go "you're almost there" referring to her waking up to the LDS church issues. She's also still very young and lost so much so maybe she's holding on to just have some sense of a constant in her life, but I think she's close to figuring it out, if she hasn't already.
I am listening on Audible (love that she reads it herself) and its so good. I'm so sad she was betrayed not only by her parents but also her "church" in the case with Derek. She is so resiliant, praying her eyes are opened to the lies and deception of the LDS cult.
I've had a similar experience as Shari in seeing yourself as looking like your mom as I'm a carbon copy of my abusive mother. It gets to you at times and you truly do try to swing so hard the other way personality wise and I'm glad we were able to succeed in that. For anyone else out there who's dealing with a similar thing and is possibly being reminded of that by their abuser very often to put you down, it gets better and I promise if you care this much then you're nothing like them! The other one that stuck out to me was when Shari said her mom was as apologetic as she could be. I talk about this very often with my mother in the sense of love and how skewed my mother's idea of love is. People like this just don't understand these things and havw a proper grasp on them. Which makes being around them very hard
Same…I was heading for the ambulance with my daughter and had no shoes on 😂. The paramedic told me to get some. 🤦🏼♀️. I didn’t even lock the front door or take a key. He had to tell me to get my bag and lock up too😅. I can laugh now as all is well. I wasn’t laughing at the time for sure! 😢
I'm reading and just finished Chapter 15 as well. Ruby makes me want to throw my kindle at the wall. I'm planning to finish it by the weekend. Are you going to recap the rest of it? You're my book club with this one. LOL
I absolutely agree with your take on Bonnie and Ruby personalities. So similar, and their kids and husbands parade around them like minions. In fear setting off their fragile bipolar Mother. Ellie and Julie don’t ‘appear’ to have this characteristic about them. Dysfunctional at its highest. Surprised neither Bonnie or Ruby didn’t see this when editing their own videos. But then again this is high functioning narcissism. How could they?
I listened to the audiobook, and honestly so many things left me speechless. I was an 8 passenger viewer for at least 3 years, all the way until she stopped posting. One of the firts red flags i saw was when they sent Chad off to a wilderness camp. As a non American, i know a lot of parents in the US send their kids off to those places, but it's still weird and abnormal to me. When they made a video addressing why Chad was missing, they started saying those odd words ALL THE TIME: humble, honest, responsible, truth, distortion, deception, i expect you to...., defiance, principles of truth, blame, shame, fear....VERY ODD to the point it became annoying. Thats when i noticed the shift in the household. That's when Jodi was already """helping""" the family. But nobody knew. Ruby started mentioning she was attending a life choaching course so she would one day teach parenting skills. (Jodi) A lot of videos Shari mentioned in the book, i had watched and i still remember. But it's the behind the scenes...that was bad,. It goes to show you should never trust what you see online. They looked like the perfect family. When they moved to the huge house, things got worse. The 4 younger kids were homeschooled or on online school (again, me as a non american: WEIRD, RED FLAG). Which means they didn't hang out with other kids. I also noticed at one point they were no longer visiting with Ruby's siblings/parents. That was also a big red flag. (That's when Ruby cut them ALL off). What else....she started obsessively freeze drying any food, but again i thought it's just an american thing. Of course nobody knew Jodi was LIVING WITH THEM, and Shari sleeping on the couch. Like wtf? Also when Ruby said: "my kids are not welcomed to live in my home when they turn 18, i am very straightforward about that", I'll never forget those words, very odd. She stopped mentioning/acknowledging Shari (she was at college, but was also cut off). Then her videos became less frequent. "My kids are growing up, they're working and doing their thing. And i am focused on life coaching" she said. Until eventually she disappeared from RUclips and Instagram. I got weird vibes. I missed the kids. What's going on? Everyone wondered. One day i discovered Connexions.....the videos....what they were preaching WTF. Blaming EVERYONE and especially dehumanizing children ....until the arrest happened. I was shocked
I forgot to mention when Ruby refused to bring food to the youngest child at school. And the way she defended her decision so cold hearted. That was of course alarming. And the cherry on the cake was when Chad revealed he had been sleeping on a bean bag for over 6 months, and that he had no friends as well as one of his sisters. Chad said why he was punished and he laughed, Ruby said: "if you think it's funny maybe the punishment is not enough" (something like that), Chad's face got serious "it was not funny".
It is so sick that people would choose money over their children, and don't care about blasting information for the whole world to see. Every child deserves a parent, but some people DO NOT deserve to have children. This case always makes me bawl.
If you read the book, you’ll see that Jodi accused Kevin of incest for just hugging his daughters. For Ruby then to have sexual encounters with Jodi in her DAUGHTER’S room is just disgusting and hypocritical.
Sherry calling her Ruby and not mom speaks volumes. My kids do the same thing to their father who abused them. I am so proud of Sherry for this book and speaking her truth. I hope she makes tons of money from it!
100% this. You know that parental relationship is dead in the water once they start to refer to their parent by their first name.
@@beth4485 Well not always - my brother calls our parents by their first names and has done so since he was about 6 or 7. There has never been abus ive or toxic behaviour in our family, it is just how my brother processes things that's a bit different. But in this case, obviously yes! Ruby does not deserve to be called a mom, ever.
@@FrostAndTheForestYeah, I meant in cases like hers. 😊 Once something happens and kids then start referring to them by their first names.
Shari. This girl has been thru so much, she has been ignored, hated, disregarded. Let's make her feel seen and acknowledged.
Me too. Bought 3 copies. If Chad comes out with his I will buy 5.
I think Ruby actually hates children and only had them because it was her Mormon duty.
Bingo
The weird thing is that according to Shari's book (I read it this morning), Kevin only wanted to have one or two kids and it was actually Ruby who insisted on having such a big family.
She insisted because she saw dollar signs. Its also part of their "culture"
I don't think Ruby can love anyone. There is something wrong with her she doesn't have that mother instinct.
That and because she wants people she can control.
She seems very dominant and sadistic; if she hadn't grown up Mormon, she would have been thriving as a dominatrix
The brother is the forgotten Hero of the story. He saved his sister.
How is he forgotten? Everyone says that he is.
I don't think he's forgotten I think everyone i is doing the right thing by giving him total privacy.... Shari is an adult so she's in much better position to speak on her experience.
@@d6375 we remember him, the hero boy. We just don't talk about him.
Yes Russell is a hero!!!
he absolutely saved his sister..he is a hero..much moreso than shari imo
Shari is also advocating for children to congress for protection for being exploited on social Media.
That's why none of her aunts follow her or talk to her anymore. Sad.
we all should be . its not okay
@@kristietaylor7954they follow her! I just checked. Julie and Ellie at least
Why do i have a feeling Bonnie will write her own book telling her side and how she's the victim of her sister.
I'm a ghost writer, have been since 1999, and i have written some real eye opening stories
Very telling how Shari calls her Ruby. She's disassociated her mother as a mom.
it should be illegal for criminals to bank on their crime
@@liandajane3207 I believe it is. Some find their way around that sadly, like Gypsy.
My dream job! Yeah I don't agree Bonnie will always be the biggest victim of them all! 🙄
I am looking for a ghost writer. Do u have someone u can refer me to?
@@liandajane3207 it is illegal for them to “bank on their crime” so they can’t write a book or make a movie that the main topic is about the crime itself. But people like gypsy can write about their life. Just not the crime itself. Something like that.
Every time I hear that neighbours voice after calling the Police and explaining the state that Russell is in, it breaks my heart all over again. The horror in that elderly gentleman’s voice tells you everything you need to know. I truly hope that all the children are doing better and I also hope that this neighbour is doing ok 😢
That video is very hard to watch. I think 20/20 did a good splicing all of the evidence and videos together.
I know, that poor man. He was trying so hard to keep it together for Russell, not using the word abused or going into detail on the horror he was witnessing. God bless him ❤
@@irishgirl81498Shari mentioned in her book she doesn’t like 20/20 coverage of it unfortunately
@@terrimendoza3174 definitely requires quick thinking and care, he's a hero for sure, and ofc so is R
When you see what the old fella was looking at you can understand why he was so choked up… any person that can do that to a child is simply inhuman.
The fact that Kevin isn’t in trouble for any of this is insane. The abuse started when he lived in that house. He’s just working with the state at this point to get the public eye off him.
Because they are following the teachings of the Mormon Church that they can spank the Heck out of their children including taking things away from them and Ex-Communicating them. Maybe not what Ruby and Jody did to them later.
Kevin wasn’t around during the abuse ruby is in jail for. He clearly has issues but it’s ridiculous to claim he is responsible for abuse that happened while he wasn’t around. No mother would be held to the same standard.
@ correct. But he was around for the years and years of alleged abuse beforehand. Knowing your wife is hitting, abusing the kids and not leaving or doing anything about it makes you just as guilty.
@@jessicakatz9278 right. Isn't it totally odd, that Shari conveniently leaves out her dad in this. There are no questions of, well where was your father when any of this was happening? Very, very odd.
@@jessicakatz9278exactly reading this book, Kevin needed to put his foot down, even when Ruby shaves Chad had as a little boy or pops Shari for piano. Kevin either was checked out or too soft. Kevin needed to leave & take the kids years & years ago
As a mom,... I can't imagine my child fearing me. I can't imagine the pain the children felt.
Exactly. I would feel like such a failure if my kids ever said that to me.
My husband and I grew up with abusive parents and I never want my kids to feel they need to work for love and acceptance. We try to always reassure them that our home is safe and love is unconditional. We never want them to experience what we did. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
As a mom, I can’t imagine. But as I child I lived it. I tell my son all the time that he is safe and loved, and he has no clue how much value I put in those words.
Icu nurse here... Josh, I wanted to tell you that you opened my eyes to the family vloggers in this world like many others. Thank you for your work here! Never stop! And side note you deliver your points perfectly and the humor you add at times makes it even better!! Tyson as editing... again GREAT WORK!
I've worked 21 years in icu and nurse for 31years and that nurse Hannah... should not have a license in ANY state! Even if she doesn't say patient's names...people can put together where she works and situations. It makes me sick things she has done in so many ways. Oh, I could go on and on...
not all family vloggers are complete abusers and tools like ruby and kevin are...
Nursing is a field full of low grade narcissists.
She reminds me of someone who became a nurse because of the earning potential, which to me is odd because you can make more money with less schooling but I digress. I don't think I have ever heard her talk about how much she cares about her patients or why she got into the profession.
@
Try talking to a nurse for 5 minutes when first meeting them without them telling you they are a nurse.
It’s a profession drowning in narcissists.
ICU nurses are amazing. Saved my life. Post op complications after brain surgery resulting in cerebral salt wasting with blood salt levels at 103. And acute kidney injury stage 2. Surgery failed. I had an ETV. Now have a VP shunt to treat my hydrocephalus
Ruby strikes me as someone who never really wanted children and felt compelled to have them due to religion. She just seems to resent them so deeply.
Bingo
That’s kind of what Shari implied throughout her book
I just had a ⚡ thought... even the name 8 passengers is pretty telling... passengers on trains are just strangers forced to ride together until they reach their destination...the word passenger is cold and distant, not something people normally describe their family as
You're on to something everyone missed, I didn't think of that. You're right!
Definitely get concentration camp vibes almost. Like the train that went to Auschwitz. She very much drove that train with her family straight to hell.
That’s really insightful into the situation. You’re totally right.
The other part of the analogy is that the drivers are in control of the vehicle and the passengers for a period of time cannot get off 😢
@@kermitthefrog2311😭
I know Shari wants a private life and to start a family which she totally deserves but I hope she will continue to advocate for victims of child exploitation.
I believe she’s going to! I think she just wants to keep her personal life private.
I’m happy for Shari, I’m so glad she hired a ghost writer, her book will be a best seller and she deserves it!! She is getting her point across and people are listening.
I bought the hardcover book and it was delivered last night about 7pm and I'm already on page 75 beginning chapter 14! I can't put this book down! I'm up just to start reading her book again!! I've been here since the beginning! I'm pretty sure I am in your first 5,000 subscribers! Good job for being the first to call Ruby out years ago!!😊
I’m first on notification list when my library gets an audio copy in. She narrates and I’m sure it’s powerful.
I read the entire book in 1 go too! I couldn't put it down! VERY well written!
I listened to it it until 4 in the morning, it was SO good. I'm exhausted, yall 😅
@@ileneglenn845 that's a great idea! I may go check my local library out too for the audio book!
@@kristietaylor7954 I finally put it down last night about 2am and I only read a few chapters this morning till I had to leave! I'm now sitting down to read more!!
To forgive someone isn't always for that person, sometimes it's for the person affected/abused by them. To forgive someone for yourself is releasing all that pain and angry so it no longer weighs you down. It allows the victim to move on with their life. It doesn't mean that the abusers wrong doings are erased.
You are EXACTLY RIGHT 🤍
Completely true. I had to do this because the anger was eating me alive. I forgave my mother because I needed to have peace in my own soul. However, this did NOT mean I had to let her back into my life.
You gotta be ready to though.... it's definitely the hardest thing ever!
@@AllegedlyMaybe It definitely is hard but so worth it when a person can. I have had to do it is a different situation and for months, my life was awful until I realized that I needed to forgive and the next morning, I woke up like a new person. You will never forget what was done but to have it not holding you down anymore is the greatest part of healing and moving on.
Yes! My mom taught me when growing up that just because you forgive doesn’t mean you forget
Didn't Bonnie say over and over again that she did everything she could to help those kids? Such a liar.
Are we surprised that she condoned the abuse?
Ya she said everything by law possible
She deserves all the canker sores in tbe world!!!!
Not a lie. The law didn’t help Shari also called. So should we call Shari a liar too cause cps didn’t help?
@@SharpLife4 very good point. the internet is a great tool but the down side is it destroyed much of society, communication...........it created that mob mentality, cancel culture. the amount of suicides due to online bullying is so awful.
Bodycam footage about the child being afraid to eat chips broke my soul. ❤ all of the mom hugs and love to these kids. ❤❤❤
I appreciate that Shari does not call her mother "mom." She refers to her as Ruby. I hope Shari has received and continues to receive all the help she needs. I'm sure writing this book was extremely therapeutic.
@@abbieliz396cool 👍
@@abbieliz396why tho? „mom” is a special title 🥹
She's claimed to forgive Kevin but refers to him as Kevin. That's fine.
@@julietchristensen3957 I agree.
The first time I remember, feeling icky about 8 passengers was a seemingly innocent video. All the kids were at school except for the two youngest. And her youngest son was helping her in the kitchen and he took out a casserole dish or something that was too heavy and dropped it. I don’t even think it broke. I just think it was heavy on her wood floors. And the look on this child’s face was so desperately scared. Ruby assured him, of course, on camera, over and over and over again that she wasn’t upset that she was happy he wasn’t hurt. She didn’t care about the pan, didn’t care about her floors, that she “would rather have her son that floors.” But you could tell by the way this child stiffened immediately, the look on his face, he was near a panic attack and couldn’t even meet Ruby’s gaze. I’ve never, ever forgotten it to this day. His face literally haunts me.
It was one moment in an uneventful video many years ago, but Ruby was probably praised for how she handled it in camera, but I know in my soul he was punished mercilessly off camera. Then the Girffiths siblings came out with a Q&A video in which they told a story that was eerily similar to what I watched unfold on Ruby’s video. They mentioned that they had broken something in their mother’s kitchen and she said “it’s OK I’d rather have you guys than xyz.” And I went ahhhh, there it is. The learned behavior.
One part that broke my heart was when she said Nollie would lay at her feet during her piano practices and just reassured her she was with her, whilst Ruby abused her. Or when Ruby said she wasn't her friend. Clearly, that woman only had kids for her religious duties, and has forever created a complex relationship regarding religion for her kids. Especially the two youngest.
I don’t even think she had kids solely for religion. I think she had kids for the status in her religion. It was about what it would do for her and what it would reward her with.
Thanks posting this I didn’t realize the book was released. Definitely going to start listening to Shari’s book today.
I pre ordered this book ages ago and it arrived last night. Only read 2 chapters and I'm blown away, she's so level headed and insightful. I've been through a lot, and I totally relate to some of the things she's described
I knew ruby and jodi was more than just friends.
They used to lock themselves in the bedroom for hours. 🙄
I know!! I knew it!!! It makes so much sense.
Thank you for this discussion! I just purchased the audiobook and will be listening to it today. Have a wonderful day everyone ❤
What does consent look like when you are too afraid to say no? That's so powerful, even beyond family vlogging.
living for this coverage!! im reading the book too. cant wait for you to cover bonnie again soon. she posted an appalling video for her daughters dance date and it was sooo bad.
I just watched an episode of yours from 2 years ago where you interview Jordan and Mckay, and you discuss Ruby taking away Christmas from the two youngest, among other things. It chilled me to the bone to know that in the future those would be the two kids getting tortured aswell... Wild to watch old covereage of 8P knowing how everything unfolded. I'm both dreading and looking forward to reading Shari's book.
My mother in law, who I haven’t spoken to in 7 years thank God, was OBSESSED with connections and Jodi. We even met with her once and man the things she said. I have so many stories and screens shots from things my mother in law believe and said. So crazy. I’m glad Sheri is speaking out.
I want to hear more about this!
@ I will gladly share it all! I spent so many years being quiet about her and my husband spent his whole life being abused and silenced. To this day, his mom still uses Jodi’s teachings. She was defending her in their Facebook group all the way until they were sentenced.
@@avatarlover1111The LDS church in Louisville, Kentucky had several members very active in ConnXions. They still believe their teaching. Bonnie used the Mormon Blanket Training and shared it in her own blog! Very very narcissistic and pathological, Bonnie and her husband too.
@@thedrunkenelf , me, too!
You are so right about the Griffiths, Meachams, Derus and Hoelliens. More worried about their own image and income.
I just do not believe Rubys husband has no guilt. He allowed all of these things to happen. He was home for a good part of that channel.
Those poor children. I hope they’re all healing ❤
My husband was sent to the same camp as Chad (many years before, not at the same time). I would love it if Chad wrote about that someday.
I would LOVE to hear Chad's story too!!!!!
I think you are amazing person & this will forever stay with me this story. Heartbreaking! This abuse has ruined all 6 kids! I hope they can heal as much as possible!♥️
So I got the audiobook and listened to it whole today. It is fantastically well ballanced, personal and honestly (I dont use it lightly) triggering. It is an incredibly brave account and in my eyes Shari can just relax now, she's done more than enough good for the world for one person.
Well I bet Ruby feels REALLY inconvenienced now.😂😂😂
Ruby and Jodi will be seething in jail after having Good Morning America reach out and comment about Shari's book.
Kevin is absolutely not innocent in this, he ditched his kids. I hope his conscience is eating his soul up outside of jail because he doesn't deserve peace in any day of his life for what he did...or didn't do for that matter.
I ordered Shari’s book. I-never order a new book but Shari deserves whatever money she can get from this book. I hope she knows how loved she is. I’m so sorry to all of the kids. Their Mom may not have loved them the way they deserve to be loved but many of us love them. I send all my Momma love to the children. I pray they can grow up feeling loved. ❤️❤️
I did too…
I think Shari doesn’t want to lie about the intimacy and if she doesn’t have proof then I can see why she wouldn’t say anything.
Got the audio version of the book and binged it in a day. Can't wait for you to finish it and then talk on it. Sheri hugely opened Pandoras box to her life and helped answer questions that many people had.
I hope the kids will find healing and peace. Kevin the father needs to face a trial too- he let it happen and abandoned his children.
I heard the 4 minor children are in foster care now.
Yep complacent and he KNEW and is liable
Ruby was always a controlling psycho, things didnt get "culty" until Jodi came into play, Sherri said herself that Ruby was very physical beforehand. Soooo Kevin was okay with her starving the kids and hitting them but the lesbian stuff was too much? Gtfoh he should be prosecuted right alongside those two demons 😡😡
I have been evacuated from my LA childhood home. My family and pets are safe, far away now. Please hope and pray for my city La Canada. Thank you DCP for another great video I can distract myself with. Hoping and praying everyone in California is somewhere safe tonight ❤🙏🏻
Sending you love ❤
Shari not calling Ruby mom but calling her “Ruby” speaks volumes. I’ve watched 8 passengers since E was 2 years old. I was a kid, with a ton of siblings too, so I was interested in seeing their life. There were two moments that made me feel sick to my stomach. When Ruby refused to bring E lunch because she forgot to pack it, no mother would ever do that. When they got into the accident and R was visibly shaking and crying, and Ruby proceeded to film him and say “we should have been in that accident”. I finished watching that video, not all the way through, and immediately stopped watching them.
The face she would make when Chad, A, and J would talk about not having any friends in school, made me angry, but also broke my heart. I feel sick to my stomach knowing I watched them for a few years, but glad I stopped before the whole Connexions situation.
There was also a Christmas where some of the children ( the two youngest, possibly?) didn’t get any presents because they had done something Ruby deemed unacceptable. I thought that was really cruel for a really minor infraction. Oh, and Chad pranking his brother ( waking him up early and have him pack for a non existent trip to Disney Land/World) meant he had to sleep on a beanbag in the lounge was also absolutely awful.
Yeah, absolutely awful, and there’s so much more behind the camera that happened. I get Ruby and Kevin disciplining Chad for pranking R, but taking away his bed (a necessity) for 7 months is cruelty, and not discipline. And Ruby making the youngest watch while the other children opened their gifts made me heartbroken.
It’s also a Mormon thing to not call police. I know that my in-laws would be like that too. Try to work things out through family and church, don’t get anyone else involved because it can make the family and church look bad.
Agree I know a family the husband threatened to kill his wife the church got a member to talk to him instead of getting him real help and 2 nights later he killed her then himself leaving a few kids orphaned
Just ordered her book yesterday and it came in last night, can’t wait to read it! I can’t believe I went from watching 8 passengers as a child, to be invested in the Ruby Franke case to now reading Shari’s book! The reality of family vlogging has made me realize that I watched these families as a kid thinking they were perfect because it was an escape from my abusive dysfunctional family. I can see now that it really is anything but perfect and is damaging/exploitative.
It’s crazy because Jodi was in rubys life like 3 years before we were even aware of who it was telling them to do these things to their children. She slowly pushed Kevin out and got rubys trust
Very brave of Shari for telling as much of her story as she was ready to at this time. I believe she will write a second book as she continues to heal and is older, and that will come out with the majority, if not all of the truth, bcuz I don’t think she’s quite there yet, especially bcuz she’s still so connected to the church. But this is a huge step and it’s going to help many people and especially children in these situations whether they’re on RUclips or not.
12:25 I remember that Christmas and it absolutely broke my heart. She took Christmas away from the little kids, when the magic is extra special, and had them watch the older kids open gifts. Absolutely heartbreaking.
As a mom of 4, I never watched her channel but knew of her (moreso from creators making content about her), and one of my biggest pet peeves is using food as a weapon and withholding it as punishment. Food is a basic necessity. How many times do we wake up for a midnight snack because we’re hungry? No adult or child ever has to ask for permission to eat something in my house. All of my kids friends know where the snack cabinet and drink fridge is. If you’re hungry, then eat. The story of her letting her 6 year old go hungry at school, and then hoped no one would feel bad for her and give her food, because SHE was responsible for packing her own lunch, killed me. A 6 year old is still a baby and shouldn’t be responsible for packing their own lunch and then suffer if they forget it. Maybe it’s crazy but I always pack extra snacks in my kids lunch bags just in case there’s a kid who forgot their lunch or snack or if they’re in a situation like the Franke kids.
Bonnie must be shaking in her boots right now and rightfully so…the “adults” in that family are toxic vile creatures that all need to be stopped from using their children as paychecks.
Shari is young and still in Utah. She first shed her immediate family cult, then extended family cult.
I believe Josh is right and someone as much of a truth teller as she is will find her way out if the LDS cult. But it won't come overnight, she needs to heal first.
As an ex-mormon who broke generational CSA and physical abuse, I have a huge soft spot for Shari and she's in my prayers.
Good for you! With all my heart I am glad you escaped. My husband taught high school in a community with many devout Mormons. I had many students confess things to me as I volunteered at the school. The infant-blanket training.The pre-school hours at Mormon Bible. The absolute devotion to Rtump to this day. Devout Republicans to the last parent and the committing family to be together forever. The children and teens were so scared and unprotected and had to answer to the men in the church. The bishop was terrifying.
I think she still sees her aunts and cousins
Yeah, I think she will too eventually, but it's currently a crutch for her. Listening to the audio book seems like she has some awareness of the issues with the church but just not able to fully connect the dots. One step at a time though.
How funny that Bonnie just had a video going to Florida again, probably trying to leave because Sherry's book came out.
Can't wait to see you're vide on that!!
Books not out in Switzerland yet, but should come out soon and can’t wait to read and support Shari ❤
I’ve been waiting for this to drop! Also, out of all the Griffiths family vloggers, Ellie & Jared are the only ones who seem to of stopped vlogging their kids. It’s also really interesting that in the GMA interview, Shari refers to her mom as Ruby. As a mom, this is the biggest kick in the teeth she can do to her wicked, wicked mom.
Interesting? Ruby no longer deserves to be referred to as her mother
I also find Julie has drastically cut her vlogs down especially not including the kids. You may hear their voices periodically. Bonnie has doubled down on her vlogs and exposure of her kids.
whats interesting about it? im sure she hasnt referred to the beast as her "mom" for years. and honestly its not the "biggest kick in the teeth she could do" either. being called a mom doesnt make you holier than thou in anyones eyes, not even your child's. calm down
I'm pretty sure Ruby doesn't care at all.
@@jo-annewilkinson5663she has not really doubled down. She is recording arguments between her and her husband 😂😂
I got the book yesterday and I’m on page 200! It’s crazy. The reason Chad went to wilderness camp is INSANE not what i thought it would’ve been. And keep reading, Jodi and ruby are caught red handed. We were all right about their relationship that’s all I’m going to say…
Finished it now & omg! I’m so glad she was able to use her voice.
Shari is so strong, she has been cut off from all of her family but still has the strength to be advocating for herself and her siblings and trying to build a new life for herself. Imagine the conversations/arguments she has had with her aunts and grandparents… so sad she didn’t get any support from them and they continue to vlog their own children.
Such an important and good video! Love that you’re sharing this super important message!
Now, please do a video on Nika Diwa I am waiting every day for the video on her!! Please please
Thank you for posting about this. I had no idea her book was released, I will be purchasing it. This whole story saddens and sickens me.
Just finished it. It is FANTASTIC! I kept forgetting she's only 21 almost 22. Very wise beyond her years.
Shame on Kevin, rubys siblings and parents and ANY adult who knew the early signs of abuse of those kids like slapping them on the mouth and doing nothing about it and preventing the even darker stuff from happening. Shame on them. Their judgment days won’t be as beautiful as they imagine in their delusional heads.
Just purchased her book. Thanks Josh.
I’m about 4 hours into the audiobook and my heart goes out to all the children. So proud of Shari for giving that experience her voice. Horrifying. A living nightmare. I wish her and the rest of her siblings all the best of life, far from harm and sadness.
I started the book after work yesterday and finished it! A lot of feels as an Ex-mo who is now a mother with a daughter. My heart broke for her so many times and I wish her nothing but the best.
Yaaas! ExMo crew! This book is on my list....thinking it should jump the queue.
@@failingbeautifully8139 Push it up the queue for sure!
I read it in one go today and I now just really want 2025 be the year we all stop clicking on family vlogging channels, I think Shari exposed just how hollow and fake all of 8 Passengers videos were especially with all Ruby telling the kids how to feel, what to do and say in the video content.
This book is an absolute treatise. If this doesn’t convince society that kids don’t belong featured in vlogs, I’m not sure what will. The grit and nuance of this story is incredible. This young person is going to change a part of this world. Also, I hate that she’s spending her precious youth dismantling all this crap. Meanwhile, her aunt has doubled down on the family vlogging grift. Amazing the trauma that has to come after the trauma….from your own dang family.
10:29 Lets not forget Bonnie is now home schooling her oldest daughter. Her daughter Olivia has said on a number occasions that she doesn't want to be home schooled.
Also, there are 4 sisters. Ruby, Bonnie, Julie and Ellie. Bonnie and Ellie were best sisters They did everything together, even had their clothing business BOLLIE BRAND.
Ruby and Julie were best sisters. They seemed to be more conservative than Bonnie and Ellie. Each pair matched as far as views and energy.
I remember watching a vlog that had Ruby in it when Ruby was about 2 years old. She was cooking with her mother Jennifer. Ruby was sitting on the bench top and did something like most little children would do and her mother Jennifer, grabbed both of Ruby's hands lent in and reprimanded Ruby through her gritted teeth.
It was very abrupt and concerning to see Jenifer cooking with her 2 year old Ruby and laughing one minute and then morphing in a blink into a tyrant. I can't find the vlog now it seems it was taken down. Does anyone else remember seeing their old home videos from the 80's?
I remember! Wasn't that a video where all the siblings talked and laughed ?
@@f.lo.w1622 I really can't remember. What I do remember though is thinking that Jennifer has two extreme sides.
I remember there also being another vlog by either Bonnie or sister Julie &co where they said that Ruby came to them and said something about how poorly her parents treated them all when they were little. They went as far as to make a vlog about it as damage control.
It seems they gaslit Ruby and said it never happened. The video of Jennifer cooking with little Ruby told a different story. Jenifer was rough with Ruby. Ruby confronted Jenifer about it and the family gaslit Ruby and then mocked her in a vlog.
It seems that in this family, money is more valuable than flesh and blood.
Now, I am never going to make excuses for Ruby but Monkey see, monkey do comes to mind.
Please do a part 2 on the rest of the book! I hope that I can get my hands on a digital copy.
It's on Kindle.
If you sign up for audible you get your first download for free! That may be a cheap way to hear the book!
Coercive control is undertow of all DV cases, it is just not talked about enough. Thank you for your coverage DCP!
Josh, you should link the book in the description on a couple websites so people can easily purchase
9.11pm in Brisbane - let’s goooooo Gus & Juney
WOW! Big time difference. I'm just waking up! 😂
thank you, Josh for doing what you do. it's important.❤
I listened to the entire thing on Audible yesterday... her strength in what she’s been through is pretty amazing. If you’re not far in just be warned it gets so much worse 😢 She certainly did not hold back. My heart goes out to her and I truly hope she can break the cycle.
I pre ordered the book and got it very well written and just gives me the shivers all over again. Please support Shari. Such a brave and smart girl.
Distancing herself by calling her “ruby”. That is the biggest loss for ruby
Yay I’m excited to get my hands on the book and read it
I added it to my Audible yesterday! Can't wait to listen you it.
I am starting this book today 😊
Josh I'm happy your p.m. stepped down but let's hope the next one is not worse❤
Ruby didn’t need Jodi to be cruel and heartless. Jodi provided Ruby more ‘muscle’ and provided Ruby more tools, approaches, terminology and techniques to make her cruelty more effective and intense - to inflict the utmost damage on her children.
Forgot this came out! It’s waiting in my audible for me. So excited. What a brave young lady.
Yeah, I agree that back in the early days of social media, people didn’t necessarily realize how their posts, videos, and pictures would be out there for anyone to see. When I first had my oldest kids, I shared a lot about them on my social media thinking it was just being shared with friends and family. Around 2019 or so, and things started coming out about the negatives of all of this, I took everything down, and saved it on my hard drive. I don’t share my kids online at all anymore. I want them to be able to decide what they want about them on the internet when they are old enough to actually understand what that means.
Good for this kid. Hope its a best seller 😂
Remember Bonnie saying, "I'm not my sister, I'm not my sister's crimes"? Or something like that.
I think we missed part of the story with Ruby and Bonnie. What was their childhood like? Something happened to them to cause them trauma to do this. This is not normal, and they had to experience something. I think the Griffiths are afraid something is going to drop on them.
Definitely generational abuse
You can't really believe everything you read, but I was reading through comments on a video and someone commented that they were a family friend of grandma Griffith. She said she grew up around her and said she was very mean. Makes you wonder! The taking away the dinner thing is an older generation punishment and I believe was taught to Ruby.
They're mormon
Yeah I think we can assume there was some pretty authoritarian parenting and corporal punishment that was common of that generation of parents, but with them it was likely much harsher. It would explain a lot.
I have suspicions Shari has held back there. She talks a few times about her mother saying “we can be friends when you have a baby”, and alludes that this may have also been the case with Ruby and her own mother. Ruby being made to take care of younger siblings, etc, I think she is alluding to there being not a lot of emotional support or nurturing in the mother/daughter relationships through the family generations
I still want to hear from the neighbor where the boy ended up after running away. We heard the emergency call. But he mentioned Jodie (?) was a bad person. Like he knew about her before the kid ended up on his porch.
What do you mean? Everyone knows where he ended up. He got taken to hospital for treatment then placed in foster care.
@@TheSamjane4not the boy..the neighbor
YESSSS! I came here to see if u had covered this 😂
Can wait to read her book it's coming tomorrow x
What baffles me, is I thought her grandparents seemed so “normal “… how did their children turn out so messed up in their thought processes? Makes me now wonder their childhoods too. I’ll never get or understand this type of behavior or abuse and how anyone would think it’s okay, the trauma these kids endured at the hands who are supposed to love and protect. Sick.
I still dont understand how Kevin gets a pass. He was involved with the channel and saw what Ruby was doing, and then neglected his kids for a year. And its all ok? Kevin is just as bad as Ruby's siblings. Even worse since he was in the home.
Not defending Bonnie but they have went to Florida this time of year for 3 years now. The book or not that was planned.
If you read the book, Jodi really messed with him. She was a church sanctioned mental health professional who abused his trust. He should have done more, but I see where his limitations were. Jodi made him believe he was having disgusting thoughts about his kids.
I think Kevin was also a victim. Maybe it’s because I have seen what Mormonism does to families. I can believe Kevin truly thought he was the issue and his family was better off without him until he got help for his addiction.
I bought this book yesterday and was up half the night finishing it. Sheri is quite the author with a beautiful way of expressing her insights. Her writing is poignant, heartfelt, and reveals a wisdom only learned from experience and therapy. It's definitely pulled the curtain back to reveal the inner dynamics of this family. The dysfunction is profound and leaves each one of them deeply scarred. It is stunning the path of destruction two people can create.
I haven't started it yet but I downloaded the Audible Audiobook yesterday. Looking forward to hearing Shari tell her story.
Thank you for speaking on family vloggers
Feb 27 is a documentary coming out on the family. Chad is giving some sneak peeks and answering some questions about the upcoming documentary. He said he is excited for Kevin to tell his side of the story. I hope you cover it for us. You have such a good take on this subject.
I find it surprising that Shari is still LSS and praises the church. It seems to me like they have a real problem with children being abused and the church won’t even speak out against it. Jodi and Ruby were using religion as an excuse to torture and nearly kill children and the church not only failed to intervene but can’t even release a statement that abusing children is wrong.
The reason she's staying is because they are paying for her college so she can't get out just yet.
I think she'll leave soon enough. So many things in the book made me go "you're almost there" referring to her waking up to the LDS church issues. She's also still very young and lost so much so maybe she's holding on to just have some sense of a constant in her life, but I think she's close to figuring it out, if she hasn't already.
I am listening on Audible (love that she reads it herself) and its so good. I'm so sad she was betrayed not only by her parents but also her "church" in the case with Derek. She is so resiliant, praying her eyes are opened to the lies and deception of the LDS cult.
I hope Shari makes millions off her book.
Got it on audible yesterday and binged it. Crazy listen. So Sad. Feel for the kids
I've had a similar experience as Shari in seeing yourself as looking like your mom as I'm a carbon copy of my abusive mother. It gets to you at times and you truly do try to swing so hard the other way personality wise and I'm glad we were able to succeed in that. For anyone else out there who's dealing with a similar thing and is possibly being reminded of that by their abuser very often to put you down, it gets better and I promise if you care this much then you're nothing like them!
The other one that stuck out to me was when Shari said her mom was as apologetic as she could be. I talk about this very often with my mother in the sense of love and how skewed my mother's idea of love is. People like this just don't understand these things and havw a proper grasp on them. Which makes being around them very hard
@30:00 I have gone to the ER with one of my kids literally wearing two different shoes bc I was out of the door so fast. This is disgusting.
Same…I was heading for the ambulance with my daughter and had no shoes on 😂. The paramedic told me to get some. 🤦🏼♀️. I didn’t even lock the front door or take a key. He had to tell me to get my bag and lock up too😅. I can laugh now as all is well. I wasn’t laughing at the time for sure! 😢
I'm reading and just finished Chapter 15 as well. Ruby makes me want to throw my kindle at the wall. I'm planning to finish it by the weekend. Are you going to recap the rest of it? You're my book club with this one. LOL
I absolutely agree with your take on Bonnie and Ruby personalities. So similar, and their kids and husbands parade around them like minions. In fear setting off their fragile bipolar Mother. Ellie and Julie don’t ‘appear’ to have this characteristic about them. Dysfunctional at its highest. Surprised neither Bonnie or Ruby didn’t see this when editing their own videos. But then again this is high functioning narcissism. How could they?
I listened to the audiobook, and honestly so many things left me speechless. I was an 8 passenger viewer for at least 3 years, all the way until she stopped posting. One of the firts red flags i saw was when they sent Chad off to a wilderness camp. As a non American, i know a lot of parents in the US send their kids off to those places, but it's still weird and abnormal to me. When they made a video addressing why Chad was missing, they started saying those odd words ALL THE TIME: humble, honest, responsible, truth, distortion, deception, i expect you to...., defiance, principles of truth, blame, shame, fear....VERY ODD to the point it became annoying. Thats when i noticed the shift in the household. That's when Jodi was already """helping""" the family. But nobody knew. Ruby started mentioning she was attending a life choaching course so she would one day teach parenting skills. (Jodi) A lot of videos Shari mentioned in the book, i had watched and i still remember. But it's the behind the scenes...that was bad,. It goes to show you should never trust what you see online. They looked like the perfect family. When they moved to the huge house, things got worse. The 4 younger kids were homeschooled or on online school (again, me as a non american: WEIRD, RED FLAG). Which means they didn't hang out with other kids. I also noticed at one point they were no longer visiting with Ruby's siblings/parents. That was also a big red flag. (That's when Ruby cut them ALL off). What else....she started obsessively freeze drying any food, but again i thought it's just an american thing. Of course nobody knew Jodi was LIVING WITH THEM, and Shari sleeping on the couch. Like wtf? Also when Ruby said: "my kids are not welcomed to live in my home when they turn 18, i am very straightforward about that", I'll never forget those words, very odd. She stopped mentioning/acknowledging Shari (she was at college, but was also cut off). Then her videos became less frequent. "My kids are growing up, they're working and doing their thing. And i am focused on life coaching" she said. Until eventually she disappeared from RUclips and Instagram. I got weird vibes. I missed the kids. What's going on? Everyone wondered. One day i discovered Connexions.....the videos....what they were preaching WTF. Blaming EVERYONE and especially dehumanizing children ....until the arrest happened. I was shocked
I forgot to mention when Ruby refused to bring food to the youngest child at school. And the way she defended her decision so cold hearted. That was of course alarming. And the cherry on the cake was when Chad revealed he had been sleeping on a bean bag for over 6 months, and that he had no friends as well as one of his sisters. Chad said why he was punished and he laughed, Ruby said: "if you think it's funny maybe the punishment is not enough" (something like that), Chad's face got serious "it was not funny".
It is so sick that people would choose money over their children, and don't care about blasting information for the whole world to see. Every child deserves a parent, but some people DO NOT deserve to have children. This case always makes me bawl.
If you read the book, you’ll see that Jodi accused Kevin of incest for just hugging his daughters. For Ruby then to have sexual encounters with Jodi in her DAUGHTER’S room is just disgusting and hypocritical.