Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story release date, where to watch, and more

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story will debut on Netflix on December 30. The documentary explores the real-life story of Utah-based former licensed therapist Jodi Hildebrandt and famous YouTuber Ruby Franke, the family vlogger behind the popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers. The two were arrested following a child abuse allegation by Franke's children.

Now Netflix explores Hildebrandt's role in the abuse case in great detail. The relationship between Hildebrandt and Franke, the events leading up to their arrests and convictions, and the escalation of manipulation and strict parenting views behind the scenes are all examined in the documentary. Investigating the social, legal, and psychological facets of this well-known case is the goal of the documentary.

Millions of people who had followed Franke's family online for years were shocked when what had started as parenting and relationship advice turned into accusations of severe child abuse, manipulation, and harsh punishment. Hildebrandt became well-known for her counselling services and her group ConneXions, which supported strict ideologies based on moral responsibility, obedience, and "truth."  

When and where to watch Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story 

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story is releasing on December 30, 2025 exclusively on  Netflix. All the global viewers need to have a Netflix subscription to watch this documentary.

The official synopsis by Netflix states - 

Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation. 

This one feature-length documentary provides a full narrative arc from Hildebrandt's early impact on Franke to the abuse case and eventual incarceration.

Everything You Need to Know About the Documentary Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story 

• This documentary features a combination of archival footage, interviews, and investigative reporting to tell the story. They have also included social media videos, home recordings, and YouTube clips from Ruby Franke's 8 Passengers channel as proof of the family's public persona and to showcase the reality behind the camera.
• It has also included Psychologists, legal experts who closely monitored the case to provide insights into abuse, manipulation, and influence.
• The documentary uses the chronological timeline to link the rise in abuse to Hildebrandt's power over Franke.
• Viewers may clearly see how the legal system handled the issue thanks to official court papers, statements, and trial results.
• In this documentary, professionals will be seen talking about how someone can manipulate followers and the consequences of online influence.
  
  This is a single feature-length documentary, unlike a multi-part series, that aims to provide an understandable yet comprehensive examination of the case and its cultural ramifications.

The Story of Jodi Hildebrandt in the Documentary Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story 

Hildebrandt rose to fame through her counselling practices and her famous organization ConneXions. ConneXions promoted strict ideologies based on moral responsibility, devotion, and "the truth." In 2015, Ruby Franke came into the limelight by documenting her daily family life alongside her six children. Ruby and Jodi came together under the title "Moms of Truth," Their professional and personal collaboration grew into collaborative online content that later blurred the lines of influencer culture, therapy, and faith-based philosophy.

As a result of their relationship, Ruby Franke used her YouTube channel to create family life and parenting tips for millions of viewers. Unfortunately, during this time, the children were abused physically to emotional forms of punishment off-camera. In August 2023, one of Franke's 12-year-old children escaped from Hildebrandt’s home, and the authorities had to intervene and later discovered the abuse in both homes. Jodi and Ruby were convicted of child abuse. The documentary provides insights into incidents and what social and psychological factors contributed to the lack of reporting of such abuse until now.

 In February 2024, they were sentenced to four consecutive jail terms of 1–15 years per crime, which, according to Utah law, means a minimum of four years and a maximum of 30 years in prison.

 Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story will air on December 30, 2025 only on Netflix.