Ruby Franke’s Ex Slams Partner-in-Crime in New Bombshell Lawsuit

He went out to like a dinner afterwards. and and that's where Jodie really opened. up to the women in a private. conversation that she believed she was. being tormented and haunted by shadow. figures every night and um. that was spooky. A bombshell new lawsuit. has just been filed by Kevin Frankie, the ex-husband of disgraced YouTuber. Ruby Frankie, and the allegations are.

next level. He is accusing Jodie. Hildebrandt, the licensed mental health. counselor at the center of the child. abuse scandal, of emotional. manipulation, medical negligence, destroying his family. This legal filing. pulls back the curtain on what Kevin. claims he endured behind closed doors. And you know what? It may change how we. view this already horrifying case. Let's. break it all down. Welcome to Sidebar. presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse. Weber. A major new lawsuit was filed by Kevin.

Frankie against Jodie Hildebrandt and. we're going to talk about it right now. So Kevin is of course the ex-husband of. former mommy vlogger YouTuber Ruby. Frankie. And we know Ruby and mental. health counselor Jodie Hildebrandt, her. associate, were both arrested and plead. guilty to aggravated child abuse of. Ruby's two young children. And it was a. horrifying, horrifying case. Bondage, starvation, physical injuries, emotional. abuse, physical labor. Awful, awful.

We're talking about these kids being. rescued by police after her young son. was able to escape and run to a neighbor. of Jod's in Ivans, Utah. Both of these. women pleaded guilty. It meant they. didn't have to go to trial. It went. directly to sentencing in February of. 2024. They were each sentenced to 40 to. 30 years in prison. And it's going to be. up to the parole board to decide when. they're released. But now we got to talk. about Kevin because Kevin has always. maintained he had no idea that this was. going on. That he was living separately.

from Ruby at Jod's direction. That Jod. had taken complete control over Ruby, manipulated her and manipulated him, divided their family. So what happens? Not totally unexpected. we're seeing. this, but Kevin Frankie filed this. lawsuit in Utah State Court against Jod. Hildebrand, and that is what we're going. to break down. Now, I will tell you, it. echoes a lot of the allegations that he. has made against Jod after her and. Ruby's arrest, but this is a lot more.

detailed. So, first thing I noticed is. that it was filed on his behalf by his. attorney, Randy Kester. This is somebody. that we have interviewed before here on. Sidebar. Okay, this is essentially a. medical malpractice-like lawsuit. Okay, he's suing for negligence where someone. owes you a duty, they breached that. duty, you were harmed, and their actions. caused that harm. Those are the kind of. elements. Duty, breach, causation, harm. Here's what it says in the complaint. Quote, "Defendant owed Kevin a duty of.

care as a patient and in a vulnerable. emotional state, she was in a position. of trust. defendant breached this duty. of care using improper mental health. care techniques as outlined in the. paragraphs listed above. And we're going. to go through the allegations, but real. quick, something to point out. Under. Utah law, there are tiers. So depending. on how much you're seeking in damages, you know, compensation, that dictates. what this case will look like and maybe. how long you'll actually get to a trial.

Because basically what we're talking. about is how the sides will be able to. obtain material and evidence in a case. like this really discovery. So they. argue in this complaint this is a tier. three case. Frankie is claiming that his. damages exceed $300,000. which allows for things like 30 hours. for total fact depositions, 210 days for. standard fact discovery and stuff like. that. I don't know. Just thought it was. interesting. This is a legal show. Wanted to point it out. Anyway, I'm. going to get to damages later, by the. way, because you might be saying, "Wait.

a second. She's locked up in prison. What is he going after? What are her. assets?" It's a good question. We'll. talk about it later. But what are the. allegations? So, first of all, it gets. into how Kevin and Ruby got married on. December 28th, 2000. They had six kids. And then they get into how Jod got. connected to Ruby. Namely, how Jod. engaged Ruby to associate with her in a. new Facebook group called Moms of Truth. And Jod apparently continued to practice.

as a mental health counselor. And the. complaint explains how Jod and Ruby did. social media posts together and they. were designed to promote Jod's business. and Jod was creating and selling written. materials to promote her business, too. This all leads into the allegation that. Jod solicited Ruby and Kevin to be her. patients and to buy her books and her. workbooks. and how Jod allegedly. referred to herself as a psychologist. And by the way, they cite this in the.

complaint, how proof of this is from her. August 2023 police interview. >> The whole reason we're sitting here. today is we just we there's a lot of. questions we have that we just maybe. misunderstandings that we just need. clarify. >> And. >> I know and I'd love to tell you if you. were here because I don't know I I don't. I don't know what's going to happen with. what I say. You know, I I watch I'm a. psychologist. I watch people flip things. all the time.

So, I get it. I I I sit on your side. I. get it. >> By the way, if you've been watching. Sidebar, you know how many videos we put. out every day, every week, even on the. weekend. And we use something called. Opus Clips. So, if you're in the content. creation game, if you're putting things. out on social media, this might be for. you. is an all-in-one AI editor that. makes it easier and faster to cut, create, and upload videos across all. social media platforms through the power. of AI. OpusClip automatically generates. B-roll. It cleans up audio. It refframes. your videos for any platform. And.

OpusClip is so easy to start using. I'm. going to show you how right now. All you. got to do is go to opus.pro/sidebar, sign up, and then upload a video. In. just a few minutes, you'll have tons of. perfectly edited clips ready to go. So. whether you're making videos for Tik. Tok, shorts, Instagram reels, Opus Clip. is your one-stop shop for getting your. best content seen by more viewers across. all these platforms with the press of. just one button. And if you're wondering. how good the AI edited videos are from. Opus Clip, just look at our content here. at Long Crime. Our producers have used. Opus to help us cut and share clips of.

some of our most major trials. And. having a tool like Opus Clip means we. can get you even more viral updates from. inside the courtroom faster than ever. before. At Sidebar, we know our. listeners have a lot of opinions and. ideas to share, and this is the most. powerful tool there is to help you edit. like a pro and grow your own audience. So, give it a try for yourself. Go to. opus.pro/sidebar. to start creating your own videos today. Now, this is the big allegation. Quote, "During the spring of 2022, Jod asserted. that based upon her experience,

education, expertise, and observations. as a licensed clinical mental health. counselor and psychologist, she without. undertaking any assessments, testing, or. other formal diagnostic protocol, advised Kevin that she had diagnosed him. as being lustful, narcissistic, manipulative, deceptive, controlling, and selfish, and that he needed her. professional services." She also advised. Ruby of her diagnosis of Kevin. She. convinced Ruby to support this diagnosis.

and adopt Jod's subsequent professional. advice for remedial treatment for Kevin. and his family. Kevin engaged Jod's. professional services she undertook to. provide him professional mental health. services and thereby assumed a. heightened position of trust as a. licensed health care professional in the. state of Utah with its attendant duties. So that is key to negligence. It. establishes the duty that Jod allegedly. owed to Kevin. Quote, "Her further. professional advice was that Kevin. should have no communication or contact.

with his children because Kevin's. personality, emotional, and mental. health conditions would have a negative. impact on the children and might lead. them to adopt these same negative. behaviors and conditions." This was. mandated by Jod as part of Kevin's. treatment. On July 20th, 2022, Jod and. Ruby mandated that as a condition to. protect the children and preserve the. marriage and family, Kevin and his. oldest son, Chad, then 17, should remove. themselves from the family home and.

reside elsewhere and have no. communication with the other family. members, including Kevin's wife, Ruby. Remember, Chad was actually a patient of. Jod at one point. Quote, "At this point, both Chad and Kevin were paying for her. professional services and advice, and. Kevin was enrolled in her online men's. group therapy. In reliance upon her. professional status, education, licensing, and experience, and upon. Ruby's adoption of Jod's advice, Kevin. and Chad left the home." Now, that's. key, right? That's key. They're really. building that up to say this wasn't a.

stranger telling them to do this and. providing this advice. She, by all. accounts, gave her credentials. Why. shouldn't she be trusted and believed? That position of trust, that duty, key. to a negligence analysis. And this is. now where Kevin alleges that Jod insists. that Ruby and Kevin live separately. Actually, by the way, when Kevin was. interviewed by police after Ruby's. arrest in a later interview, because he. was much more on the offensive against. Jod in a later interview, not so much in.

his initial one, but in this later one, it's important what he says. Take a. listen. Basically, there were all these. rules now placed on me. Like, I could leave when I wanted, but I. couldn't come back until Ruby gave me. permission. I couldn't come into the. kitchen to eat until Ruby gave me. permission. And the upstairs where Jodie. roamed was completely off limits. I. couldn't go upstairs anymore in my own. house. Um, and there would be Ruby would.

dictate all of the terms of how our. interactions would be, when we would. talk, when and. um, and that was hard. And it was during. that time that I really became, I would. say, dependent upon Ruby. Like, if she. said a kind word to me, like. my whole day was made, right? very. similar to what's being alleged now in. the lawsuit. Right. So, now let's go. back to the complaint. Quote, "Chad was. paying for his weekly therapy sessions,

and she actually raised her price for. him to approximately $900 per month. Kevin paid Jod for his participation in. online men's group therapy beginning in. July 2022. She requested that Kevin pay. through Venmo because, quote, "It's. easier." Kevin paid between $300 and. $375 monthly for his participation in. men's group therapy. Jod, knowing of and. having observed their family practices. and devotion to their religious beliefs. and commitments, used her knowledge of.

Kevin's commitment to his religious. beliefs, his marriage and family to. leverage and manipulate him into. adopting her unprofessional and. deceitful advice. Kevin was paying her. and relying upon her professional. therapy. his objective being to preserve. his family and marriage. She would often. tell him that unless there was strict. compliance with her mandates that his. quote soul was in danger of being. damned. In addition, during his time of. separation, other men Jod was. instructing who were part of her online.

therapy were directed by Jod to threaten. Kevin that if he didn't comply and. change quickly, Ruby was going to run. out of patience and divorce Kevin. This. manipulation made him fear the. threatened consequences if he didn't. maintain absolute and unquestioning. compliance with Jod's mandates. You know. what we call that? Potential witnesses. right at a trial. Would he call these. men? Would they testify? That would be. huge. Now, Kevin claims that Jod ordered. that he and Ruby have complete.

separation. That Jod would emotionally. and mentally abuse other patients who. violated a no contact separation. So, in. other words, if he didn't follow her. advice, look what was going to happen. There were, however, a couple times when. she did allow Kevin to speak to Ruby. But it wasn't so simple as picking up. the phone and saying, "Hi, no, this is. the allegation from the complaint.". Quote, "Each time Jod instructed Kevin. to write a letter and list everything. that he did that he was told by Jod that. was selfish, entitled, narcissistic, lustful, and manipulative, Jod would.

tell Ruby to hold on to these letters to. use as evidence for leverage in divorce. proceedings should that be necessary.". Now, I do wonder if there are physical. copies of these letters. Are there. emails? By the way, I should note. something about this case. If this goes. to trial, this presumably is going to. rely heavily on Kevin's testimony, right? He would presumably have to take. the stand. You have to imagine that in. this kind of case, and he would face. tough questioning from Jod Hildebrandt's. lawyer or lawyers about why he did all. this. First, Jod's lawyers could deny.

all these allegations, say she never. advised any of this, all of this is. untrue. Or they could say, "Look, there. was a reason she told them to separate.". And it was Kevin who voluntarily. consented to doing all this. He's an. adult. She provided advice. She didn't. pressure him or manipulate him. He did. it voluntarily. Not saying, by the way, that that defense would work. But just. keep in mind that would be what I. imagine cross-examination would look. like and what their argument would look. like should this go to trial. But when.

we talk about that, I mean, just listen. to what Kevin told police in an initial. interview after Ruby's arrest. >> Jody and Ruby have a a close. relationship and and Jody saw the need. for me to get help. And. um frankly, I agree. I this space. um has been exactly what I need to. face, you know, my own um addictions and.

and receive the support and help that. I've needed. And so this space has been. um very very good for me. >> See, so that was very close in time when. all of this was allegedly going on. And. right after the arrest, he has obviously. changed his tune about Jod and Ruby. since that time. But could that. interview be used by Jod Hildebrandt's. defense to argue consent? Maybe. Which. is why, by the way, Kevin in his.

complaint and probably ultimately at a. future trial is really focusing on the. alleged mental abuse that he suffered at. the hands of Jod. How she allegedly. bered and belittled him during online. men's group therapy sessions. that she. allegedly accused him of quote being a. lover of darkness, lover of Satan and. accused him of hiding something very. dark and evil and she withheld her. counseling and help unless through. coercion he confessed it to her and she. was satisfied that it was all disclosed.

Again, this goes to the alleged power. imbalance, the credentials, the. coercion. This is all important for the. purposes of this case. Quote, "During. these group sessions totaling over 300. hours, Jod would electronically, privately communicate with other members. of the group and share confidential and. detailed information about Kevin, his. family, and his struggles. She would. then enlist and instruct others using. that information to mentally, psychologically, and spiritually abuse. Kevin. She would have him called out for.

his behavior and comments, which she. characterized as inappropriate. During. her treatment of Kevin, she would also. relate to him vivid details of her other. patients lives, activities, and choices. Now, during the course of pre-trial. discovery, you know, exchanging. information and potential evidence, I do. wonder if they can get these messages to. show she allegedly did this, right? To. be clear, when you file a lawsuit, you. aren't claiming you have all the actual. evidence to prove your claims as of yet. Many times, you have secondhand. information. you believe it to be true, but now you need to commence a lawsuit.

where you can get that potential. evidence to prove and corroborate your. claim. So then the complaint claims that. by September 2022, Jod had told Kevin he. wasn't worthy to enter the temple for. the LDS church, Church of Latter-day. Saints. He said this led him to not. actually trying to renew his. certification to enter an LDS temple. It's called a recommend. He claims she. also encouraged him to get fired from. Brigham Young University, BYU, that it. would wake him up if he was fired. And.

he claims that's what happened. He was. fired. And then he alleges when that. happened, when he was fired, Jod turned. on him, called him selfish for doing. this. So then finally, we get into when. Ruby and two of her kids were living. with Jod in this house in Ivans. He. claims Jod never told him this. And by. the way, he alleges that Jod told Ruby. to get tested for STDs. Okay? And he. says while all this is going on, by the. way, he's still paying for Jod for these. professional services. He's thinking. that these counseling sessions would. lead to reunification of the family. But.

this is important. He claims, what was. Jod doing? That she was allegedly trying. to convince Ruby to buy up land, property in Arizona to liquidate these. financial accounts that were for Ruby, Kevin, and their children in the sum of. $80,000. By the way, kind of similar to. what Kevin told police back in the day. in that later interview I mentioned. >> around that time things with Ruby. started like picking up and I didn't. understand why but like Ruby wanted to. meet in a parking lot and wanted me to.

sign over. titles of documents like the two of our. cars wanted me to sign them over to her. name and to Ruby. Mhm. But I was like, "Okay, you know, I just. not I'm I'm in total compliance mode at. this point." Just like, "I'm a good. husband. You see, you can trust me." And. and so whatever she asked, like, "Sign.

over the the the cars to me." No. questions, just okay. And then another. thing, she was like, "I might want to do. an investment, but I will need your signature. Do you. trust me enough that I could get your. signature if I wanted to pursue my own. investment? Uh, yeah, sure. Whatever you say. >> Okay. So, from there, Kevin claims that. Jod suspended her services with Kevin,

that he had his last men's group session. on July 26, 2023, and this is while she. was mentally, emotionally, and. physically abusing his two children in. that Ivan's house. So then we get to two. important parts of this lawsuit and the. first one says this quote the specific. allegations of negligence which are. believed to be below the standards of. mental health care for this community. include but are not limited to the. following and it's a full list. Failure. of Jod Hildebrandt to professionally. diagnose and explain to patient from. what specific mental health condition he.

suffered and how such diagnosis. warranted the applied treatment. Failure. of Jodie Hildebrandt to institute an. appropriate remedial method of. treatment. Affirmatively misdiagnosing. this patient's condition. Affirmatively. acting to apply unprofessional, inappropriate, and improper methods of. treatment within the applicable standard. of care. Engaging in dual conflicting. relationships with patient members of. his family and other patients. Engaging. in acts detrimental to patients children. contrary to the stated objective of the. purported professional advice and.

services being provided to and paid for. by patient. committing criminal acts. against patients children, disclosing. Kevin's confidential information and. communications to and providing advice. to patients wife contrary to patients. best interests and contrary to the. stated objective of the purported. professional advice and services being. provided to and paid for by patient. engaging in conduct toward her patient. that displayed a lack of honesty and. cander was dishonest and designed to. benefit the self-interest of Miss. Hildebrand and was contrary to the.

mental health and best interest of her. patient. representing herself to be. practicing or engaging in a profession. Psychology for which she was not. licensed, engaging in conduct that. resulted in a conviction with respect to. a crime that when considered with the. functions and duties of the profession. for which the license was issued, there. is a substantial relationship to the. lences ability to safely or competently. practice the profession. engaging in. conduct that has resulted in. disciplinary action, including. suspension and revocation by the.

licensing and regulatory authority under. the division of professional licensing. for the state of Utah for a licensed. clinical mental health counselor. Practicing a profession regulated under. Utah state law through gross. incompetence, gross negligence or. pattern of incompetency or negligence. Practicing or attempting to practice a. profession requiring lensure under this. title by any form of action or. communication which is false, misleading, deceptive or fraudulent, verbally, physically, mentally or. sexually abusing or exploiting any. person through conduct connected with. the lenses practice under this title or.

otherwise facilitated by the lenses. license. By the way, you remember when I. said that Frankie was paying hundreds. and hundreds of dollars a month for. these online group therapy sessions and. was doing it through Venmo? That last. part is very very important for purposes. of damages, compensation. How much was. he essentially owed because of what. Hildebrandt did to him? How can he be. restored whole? So in fact towards the. end of this lawsuit, this complaint, Kevin Frankie alleges what he suffered. and what he is seeking that he was.

subjected to unnecessary and damaging. mental health treatments that he paid. for all of this. Monetary damages for. past, ongoing, and future mental health. treatment because of what Jod allegedly. did. general damages for things like. physical and emotional pain and. suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, depression, attorney's fees, costs, therapy costs, lost earnings, cites. damages in trying to reconcile and. restore his family to what it was before. Jod did what she allegedly did, and any. and all other appropriate damages. Now,

Utah may put a cap on certain damages, but you're still talking about what. could be a very sizable number if this. goes to trial. By the way, Kevin is. asking, demanding a jury trial for this. case. And here's something else to. remember. We can't tell you what. Hildabbrand's current financial. condition is or what her assets are. However, two News Investigates out in. Utah reported that her $5 million home. in Ivans, where the abuse of those.

children occurred, was taken off the. market. Also, it was alleged in another. lawsuit against Hildebrand, one that we. discussed here on Sidebar, filed by a. man named Michael Tilman, that he was. victimized by Hildebrand through her. connections business. And this part is. key. Quote, "The enterprise has become a. multi-million dollar operation by. fraudulently luring individuals to the. enterprise through connections and then. charging them exorbitant amounts of. money under the threat of pain, abuse, and destruction of one's family if the. individuals do not fully invest in.

connection services and products." and. the enterprise itself. So, in Kevin's. litigation, there will possibly be an. examination of the profits that Jod. potentially earned from her services. And it goes to the harm and damages. analysis. And I will tell you, look, based on what we have seen in the. criminal case, Ruby's own statement when. she was sentenced, talking essentially. how she was manipulated by Jod, Kevin's. own statements to police, analyzing the. credibility of his allegations in this. lawsuit is very, very different than if. he had just filed the suit before Jod's.

arrest and we never heard about any of. this. So, does it make it more credible? Maybe. So depending on Jod's assets and. a risk loss analysis, she's got to. decide if she wants to fight this and if. she contends the allegations are untrue. or if she's going to try to work for a. settlement of some kind. We'll wait and. see. Interesting development. nonetheless. It's all we have for you. right now here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so much for joining us and as. always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get. your podcast. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll.

speak to you next time. [Music].