‘The most terrifying person I’ve ever met’: Victims of My Kitchen Rules star speak out

Queensland sisters Talia and Ebony have spoken publicly for the first time about the severe childhood abuse they endured at the hands of their mother, Claudean Uamaki-Mu. The women, now adults, described their experiences as among the most traumatic of their lives, revealing how their abuser was once a contestant on the popular cooking competition My Kitchen Rules, alongside their stepfather, Anthony Mu. The sisters disclosed that they came forward to authorities as children, detailing the physical and emotional abuse they suffered. However, they soon discovered that their mother was still active in public life, appearing on television shows while facing legal proceedings. Despite being charged with historic child abuse before the show aired, Channel Seven continued to feature the couple during Season 13 of My Kitchen Rules. Most of the charges against them were eventually dropped. Talia, the eldest daughter, recounted one of the most painful memories of her childhood: watching the show hosts ascend the stairs she had been forced to climb repeatedly. “That was the hardest and most gut-wrenching thing,” she said. The sisters chose to waive their right to anonymity for the first time on A Current Affair, aiming to offer hope and solidarity to others who have survived similar trauma. Ebony, who is legally blind due to retinitis pigmentosa, described how her mother used the very tool meant to grant her independence, her cane, to beat her. “Being beaten with my own cane, the thing that is supposed to give me independence, was such a humiliating thing as a person with a disability,” she said. Ebony emphasized the added isolation of living with a disability while lacking proper support. Growing up in a chaotic Brisbane household, the sisters relied on each other for protection. Talia expressed her longing for her mother's affection but admitted she was constantly afraid of her. “She would always pull my hair... until my knees would buckle out,” Talia recalled. “She’d kick me in the stomach. She told me that she hated me and she wished I was never born, and she spat in my face.” Over the past three years, the sisters have followed their story in the media. While Anthony Mu was found not guilty of his charges, Claudean pleaded guilty to six counts of common assault related to their treatment. Her most serious charges were addressed recently after she initially faced dozens of historical allegations, including 12 counts of rape. Prosecutors offered her a plea deal, which led to the dismissal of those charges. She ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of cruelty to a child under 16 and received a two-year sentence, though she was released on immediate parole. Talia expressed frustration over the lack of control in the legal process. “We don’t call [the] shots. When it’s a criminal case, you don’t hire your own lawyers, you’re at the mercy of the crown. We both wanted to go to trial and continue.” Claudean’s defense attorney argued that her behavior toward the sisters reflected the treatment she received from her own mother. Ebony, who is a parent herself, rejected this explanation as irresponsible. “I know the difficulties of not only parenting, but parenting with a disability, but I never let that decide how I would treat my children,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what heinous, horrible things you’ve been through. It doesn’t justify how you treat children. If you are going to have children, those children deserve to be kept safe.” Claudean has defended herself on social media in recent years. She walked free from court after pleading guilty to child cruelty charges.