What to Know
For Chad Franke, the son of Ruby Franke, it takes a trauma survivor to understand a trauma survivor. He says as much in a TikTok he posted about Taylor Frankie Paul and the drama she has faced, especially after a video leaked showing her 2024 physical altercation with her now ex, Dakota Mortensen. According to Chad, there is more going on in that leaked video than people realize, and there are a few things he recognizes.
Chad says that he sees “manipulation” and “lash outs” in the video that are not unlike what he experienced growing up. For years, he was part of the YouTube channel known as 8 Passengers led by mom Ruby. Behind the scenes, however, the turmoil that Chad and his siblings faced involved long hours of filming, reported abuse, and yes, manipulation. Naturally, Chad has a lot to say about what Taylor is dealing with.
Chad Franke says he sees “master manipulation” in Taylor Frankie Paul’s video.
@chadwfranke don’t fight near ur kids 🙁 #storytime #relatable #fyp #taylorpaul #chadfranke ♬ original sound – Chad Franke
Chad and Taylor are not related despite their similar names, Mormon upbringings, and homes in Utah. OK, those are a lot of factors, but I swear, they are not connected to each other. But, according to Chad, one thing that sort of connects them is what he sees in the leaked video of Taylor’s fight with Dakota from 2023.
In the video, Dakota records his and Taylor’s fight as she scratches at him and appears to bite and kick him. At one point, a chair is thrown and you can hear Taylor’s daughter crying. That part, for Chad at least, is the hardest to watch and hear.
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“Here is my breakdown of what I truly think happened,” Chad says in his video. “I have a feeling this stemmed from a very minor, small argument that either Taylor or, what’s his name, Dakota…just started poking and poking and poking. And in my opinion, this is called master manipulation. You want to get someone to the breaking point. And from what I saw, I have a feeling the husband poked at it until she hit her breaking point.”
He goes on to say that “everything in that video was extremely concerning.” He points out the manipulation he sees from Dakota, but also the physical side of things that is “really hard to watch” for many.
“And not because she hurt him. I don’t think she hurt him,” Chad adds. “But having the baby there and then hearing the baby cry and just seeing how aggressive it all was. I have a feeling The Bachelorette either won’t air or there’s gonna be a lot of backlash.”
Other people also blame Dakota Mortensen for Taylor Frankie Paul’s drama.
In the comments under Chad’s video where he shares his two cents about Taylor and Dakota’s video, some agreed that Dakota might be just as much of a problem as Taylor. The video is from 2023 and it wasn’t until 2026 that it was released. Which, for some, is pretty telling of Dakota’s motivation if he was indeed behind the release of the video.
“I also have a feeling he was acting completely differently before he pressed record,” someone commented. “Also interesting he waited three years to sell it to TMZ.”
Someone else who examined the video pretty closely added, “Her behavior was unacceptable, however I find it odd he moved closer to Taylor’s daughter when Taylor was being violent instead of further away. It looked to me that they were in the kitchen and then moved to a living space where the daughter was. Surely you’d try to divert the situation in the opposite direction to where the child is. And then pointing out her daughter was there? Seems like he knew the daughter could be hurt but did it anyway to make Taylor the ultimate villain.”
Plenty of other users did call out Taylpor for her role in the drama with Taylor and the video showing just how toxic her on again/off again relationship with Dakota was. But they also see where Chad is coming from since he came from a home that was secretly in turmoil where he and his siblings were secretly at the mercy of their mother.
“I don’t care about Taylor. I don’t care about Dakota,” another person commented.” Because they both seem to be in the wrong. I genuinely only feel for the children in the situation.”
Chad Franke dealt with similar turmoil in his home.
@chadwfranke I apologize for the wart jump scare #fyp #blowthisup #storytime #chadfranke ♬ original sound – Chad Franke
Through TikToks, Chad has alleged that Ruby removed his bedroom door at one point as a punishment. He was also forced to sleep on a beanbag chair. When Ruby was found guilty of four counts of felony aggravated child abuse in 2023, Chad had already left home.
But, per his own admissions, he was subjected to abuse at the hands of his mother. That’s what makes him such a solid voice when examining Taylor’s video.
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