“For the last 3 years we have kept quiet on the subject of Ruby Franke for the sake of her children,” their Aug. 31 post read. “Behind the public scene, we have done everything to try and make sure the kids were safe. We wouldn’t feel right about moving forward with regular content without addressing the most recent events. Once we do, we will not be commenting on it any further.”
They added, “Ruby was arrested which needed to happen. Jodi was arrested which needed to happen. The kids are now safe, which is the number one priority.”
Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services were called to check on the family in 2020 after videos on their YouTube channel caused concern among followers about the nature of the family’s punishments, but the investigation was reportedly closed, per a letter from the DCFS obtained by Insider, because abuse claims were found to be unsupported at the time.
Shari—who is a junior at Brigham Young University—also celebrated her mother’s arrest.
“Finally,” she wrote on her Instagram Story after her mother’s arrest, adding in a subsequent post, “Today has been a big day. Me and my family are so glad justice is being served. We’ve been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up. Kids are safe, but there’s a long road ahead. Please keep them in your prayers and also respect their privacy.”