The Making of "Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin & Influence" | Ep. 2055

When Documentaries Become Reckoning: The Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt Story Gets the Treatment It Deserves

A four-part documentary called Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin & Influence is set to release September 1 and 2, 2025, and if the behind-the-scenes conversation on Mormon Stories Podcast Episode 2055 is any indication, this is not another true-crime cash grab. It is a coordinated, years-in-the-making examination of how a Mormon mommy blogger and her licensed therapist associate allegedly weaponized faith, shame, and social media reach to harm multiple families across Utah and beyond.

The question that should matter to every observer of LDS culture is not whether Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt did terrible things. Courts already addressed that. The real question is how this was allowed to happen inside a community that publicly centers itself on family protection.

Background: From Family Vloggers to Federal Cases

Ruby Franke built a substantial online following through her family vlogging channel, presenting a picture of wholesome LDS home life. Jodi Hildebrandt was not just a friend or collaborator. She was a licensed therapist in Utah with a career spanning many years and, according to the documentary team, a history of affecting families that extended well past what became public knowledge in 2023.

Both women were arrested and ultimately convicted on child abuse charges. The criminal case drew national attention, but the documentary, announced and discussed at length on Mormon Stories Podcast with host John Dehlin, intends to go deeper. The filmmakers are specifically interested in who Jodi Hildebrandt is, how her therapeutic authority was used as a tool of control, and why the systems around her failed to intervene sooner.