Shari Franke, Ruby Franke’s eldest daughter, criticized Lifetime’s Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story after seeing its trailer. In an Instagram Story on Oct. 4, 2024, she said it triggered an anxiety attack, that her family had not been contacted and that the film would hurt her siblings. She urged people not to support it.
What did Shari Franke say about the movie?
Shari said she encountered the trailer unexpectedly while in class. As quoted by The Salt Lake Tribune, she wrote: “I saw the trailer suddenly in class and had an anxiety attack.”
She also objected to the film’s impact on her siblings and called for viewers to reject it: “This movie is trash, and only hurts my siblings more. Please do not support this movie.”
Her post, as reported by the Tribune, further said: “none of us were contacted about the movie. None of the proceeds are going to the kids.” Those are claims Shari made in her post; they are not independently established details about the production or how any proceeds were handled.
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What is the Lifetime movie about?
Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story is a dramatization of the case involving Ruby Franke, a former family vlogger, and Jodi Hildebrandt. The Associated Press reported that Franke pleaded guilty in December 2023 to four felony counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse. The case concerns real children and real harm, making the question of how their experiences are represented especially sensitive.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the film was originally scheduled to premiere on Lifetime on Oct. 26, 2024. Emilie Ullerup was identified as playing Ruby Franke and Heather Locklear as Jodi Hildebrandt.
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Why did her response raise ethical questions?
Shari’s objection was not simply about whether a dramatization should exist. She said the family had not been contacted, said no proceeds were going to the children, and argued that the movie could hurt her siblings. Her reaction brings a central true-crime question into view: when a story depicts victims’ experiences, what responsibility do producers have to consider the people whose lives are being represented?
Family consultation and consent are distinct issues. Shari’s account raises concerns about consultation and the impact of the film; it does not establish that the filmmakers were legally required to obtain the family’s consent. Nor does the available reporting establish the movie’s accuracy. Viewers can distinguish the dramatization from accounts that come directly from people involved.
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How does Shari’s memoir differ from the dramatization?
Shari published The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom in January 2025. Unlike a scripted screen dramatization, it is her first-person memoir: a way for readers to encounter her perspective in her own account. Its relevance is the perspective it offers, not a claim that buying it directly benefits her siblings.
| Work | Form and perspective | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story | Lifetime dramatization; Shari said the family had not been contacted. | A scripted portrayal of the case, rather than Shari’s first-person account. |
| The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom | Memoir by Shari Franke, published in January 2025. | Shari’s own account and perspective. |
For readers seeking Shari’s perspective, the memoir is a direct alternative to a dramatized retelling. Neither format should be treated as interchangeable with the other.
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