SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Kevin Franke, the ex-husband of Ruby Franke, the disgraced former family vlogger who ran the now-defunct YouTube channel 8 Passengers, has filed a lawsuit against Jodi Hildebrandt, a licensed therapist who ran an online self-improvement program with Ruby, accusing her of medical malpractice.

Hildebrandt, a convicted child abuser, is alleged to have misrepresented herself as a psychologist while serving as his licensed clinical mental health counselor.

Franke and Hildebrandt are serving potentially decades in prison for the aggravated child abuse of Franke's young children.

In August of 2023, the Franke's 12-year-old son escaped out of the window of Hildebrandt's mansion in Ivins and ran to a neighbor's home for help. He was seen with duct tape on his ankles and wrists, wounds on his body and was severely malnourished.

When police went to Hildebrandt's home, they arrested her and found the Franke's 9-year-old daughter hiding in a closet. It took hours for law enforcement officers and paramedics to persuade the petrified girl to come out of the closet so they could get her the medical attention she needed.

The Washington County Attorney's Office case summary states, "The ensuing investigation revealed that Ms. Franke and Ms. Hildebrandt held Franke’s 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter in a work-camp like setting. The children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in, and virtually all forms of entertainment. They were also prohibited from interacting with others and were hidden in the home when others came to visit. They were forced to do physical tasks like carrying loaded boxes up and down stairs and “sitting” against a wall without a chair or stool for hours at a time. The children were also forced to do manual labor outdoors in the extreme summer heat without shoes or socks. They were similarly forced to stand outside, on a cement patio, in the summer heat for hours and even days."

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The summary further says, "They were beaten, and the 12-year-old was bound hand and foot after a previous attempt at running away. Additionally, the children suffered emotional abuse to the extent that they came to believe that they deserved the abuse. The investigation found that religious extremism motivated Ms. Franke and Ms. Hildebrandt to inflict this horrific abuse. The women appeared to fully believe that the abuse they inflicted was necessary to teach the children how to properly repent for imagined “sins” and to cast the evil spirits out of their bodies."

Now Kevin Franke's civil lawsuit - in painstaking detail - alleges he is a victim of Hildebrandt. The lawsuit demands a jury trial and seeks to target Hildebrandt's personal assets.

It accuses her of gross incompetence, gross negligence, and deceit, claiming she was in a position of trust as his therapist.

Franke alleges that Hildebrandt diagnosed him with various negative personality traits and advised him to sever communication with his children and his wife, claiming his mental health conditions would negatively impact them.

It contends Hildebrandt diagnosed Kevin as "being lustful, narcissistic, manipulative, deceptive, controlling and selfish," and that he needed her professional services to overcome these adverse personality, emotional and mental health conditions.

Attorney Nathan Evershed, a legal expert, reviewed the 15-page complaint and commented on the situation, saying, "It is harrowing to read, to say the least. He and his wife were trying to get help. His claim is that this woman deliberately and intentionally and completely disrupted and even to some degree destroyed his life."

It also alleges Hildebrandt convinced Ruby to support this diagnosis and treatment. To that end, Evershed says, "A diagnosis which he believes now with hindsight was really for her betterment, not for his."

Another allegation says Hildebrandt manipulated Franke using his religious beliefs, advising him that losing his job at Brigham Young University would be beneficial for his recovery. Franke was fired from BYU in June 2023 after failing to attend and renew his recommend.

It claims, Hildebrandt said, "That men like him were not worthy to work at BYU."

Evershed said, "It's a parade of horribles that he is claiming to be a victim of by a deliberate attempt by Ms. Hildebrandt to isolate him from his family."

Franke claims he paid Hildebrandt $900 per month for his weekly therapy sessions after she had raised her prices. He also claims he was paying over $300 monthly for an online men's therapy group, with payments requested through Venmo by Hildebrandt because "it's easier."

The lawsuit also accuses Hildebrandt of instructing Franke to write letters detailing his alleged negative traits, which she advised Ruby Franke to use as leverage in divorce proceedings.

And claims Hildebrandt accused him of being a "lover of darkness, "lover of Satan," and of hiding "something very dark and evil."

Evershed remarked, "Anybody with any measure of a heart reading this assuming that even if half of its true, would have to go out to him and you can see why he's filing this."

The lawsuit lists numerous alleged injuries and damages, including failure to properly diagnose Franke's mental health condition, unprofessional treatment methods, and disclosing confidential information to Ruby Franke. It claims Hildebrandt's actions caused damage and injuries to Franke, who was owed a duty of care as her patient.

Evershed noted, "One would hate to be in the position of Jodi Hildebrandt to have to address this."

2News Investigates found Hildebrandt's $5 million home in Ivins, listed for sale, was recently taken off the market.

"It's an unknown answer as to how much assets she still has," Evershed said.

As of now, Hildebrandt has not responded to the lawsuit, and it is unclear if she has legal representation.

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