California dermatologist accused of poisoning her husband with Drano also 'abused their kids and told 11-year-old daughter to lie in court'

A California dermatologist accused of poisoning her husband with liquid Drano has now lost custody of her two kids after she was accused of abusing them and telling them to lie in court.

A judge ruled Dr. Yue 'Emily' Yu could no longer have temporary physical custody of her two children after her 11-year old daughter told school officials she was afraid her mother 'would try to kill her like she tried to kill her dad.'

The girl also told a school therapist that her mother would sometimes 'beat' her with the leg of a small chair, while her maternal grandmother also would allegedly chase her and her younger brother and hit them.

A judge sided with Dr. Jack Chen, Yu's estranged husband, and approved his request to  limit the kids' interaction with their mother to virtual calls since she also would allegedly coach her kids to lie in court. 

Dr. Yue 'Emily' Yu could face at least eight years behind bars for allegedly poisoning her husband, Dr. Jack Chen

'[The daughter] appeared distressed and looked tearful when she was explaining feeling conflicted about lying because if she didn't, 'she would make her mom angry,'' the school therapist wrote in declaration obtained by DailyMail.com.

'I asked [the daughter] why she was so afraid to make her mom angry. [She] responded, 'Because what if she does what she did to my dad to me?''

Yu, 45, was indicted over claims she tried to poison her husband's tea with liquid Drano in 2022.

Chen, a radiologist, said he noticed an odd taste in his tea that he drank daily. 

He told police he had been feeling sick for about a month when he decided to set up a secret camera in the kitchen of their $2.7 million Irvine, Calif. home 

At least three times in July 2022, the nanny-camera caught the dermatologist allegedly spiking Chen's drink with the chemical solution that's normally used to unclog drains. 

Yu has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of poisoning and one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury. 

She insists she is innocent and was mixing Drano and sugar into a liquid in an attempt to combat an ant problem in the home.  

Still photos from a video captured Jack Chen drinking from the cup that allegedly contained Drano 

Yu allegedly used Drano to spike her husband's tea, but she claims she was using the chemical to poison ants in the kitchen

Chen filed for divorce shortly after his wife was arrested in August 2022.

The dermatologist was out on $30,000 bail when she was indicted on April 5, 2023.  

A judge had approved a temporary restraining order against Yu, but she had monitored visits every week.

Yu recently lost that privilege after her daughter revealed to a school therapist her mom would allegedly pressure her to lie about poisoning her father.

'Her mom uses her phone to type lines for [the daughter] to say regarding the Drano that was used in the house,' the school therapist wrote in a declaration. 

'[The daughter] said mom would ask her, 'And why did we have Drano in the house in the simmer,' and [she] was expected to say, 'Because we had ants and dad wouldn't buy traps.''

When asked by the school therapist if she was afraid her mom would kill her, the 11-year old girl replied, 'Yes.'

The couple lived in a $2.7 million two-story home in Irvine, California 

Yu denied the allegations that she has tried to coerce her children to lie and that she abused them. 

'The abuse allegations have caused serious negative repercussions in Respondent's life, including loss of custody of her children, being kicked out of her home, loss of health insurance, and being put on paid administrative leave at her Medical Group,'  Dworakowski wrote in an affidavit. 

'She faces the potential loss of her medical license and the ability to ever earn an income in the medical field again, not to mention the loss of her liberty.'

If found guilty of the criminal charges, Yu could spend at least eight years in state prison, prosecutors said.

 'Our homes should be where we feel the safest,' said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer about the case. 

'Yet, a licensed medical professional capitalized on her husband’s daily rituals to torment her husband by systematically plying his tea with a Drano-like substance intending to cause him pain and suffering.'

As a condition to her $30,000 bond, a judge ordered Yu to hire a third-party chaperone while treating any patients. 

She is also not allowed to open or operate a solo practice, according to a May 2023 court document obtained by the DailyMail.com.

Yu, who is a physician and surgeon licensed in California, has until April 30 to renew her medical certifications.   

Yu attended medical school at Washington University in St. Louis and became a board-certified dermatologist in California in 2010. 

She was certified in micrographic dermatologic surgery in 2021. 

While she awaits her next hearing in her criminal case, Yu filed a request for an emergency order to depose her estranged husband regarding their divorce. 

The dermatologist said she has been struggling since her arrest and was placed on paid administrative leave from her Medical Group in Mission Viejo, Calif

Dr. Jack Chen said his estranged wife continues to harass him over their divorce case

In court documents, Yu said Chen is dodging his deposition, which her attorney said is needed to collect financial and other information they need to move forward with the divorce proceedings.

Dworakowski said he plans to only ask Chen about the his allegations of domestic abuse and will limit the questioning to no more than three hours.

The attorney added Yu will not be present while Chen is questioned. 

'Considering what is at stake, and the circumstances, Wife has a due process right to obtain information in discovery that may be used to confront Petitioner's allegations,'  Dworakowski said. 'This information will also be vital in assessing Husband's credibility at the [domestic violence restraining order] hearing.'

Chen, however, blasted his wife's claims and said she is using the court to harass him.

'Not only is she seeking to take my deposition- no doubt to use in her defense of the criminal prosecution for Domestic Violence and Poisoning- she is also seeking to invade my family's privacy by seeking their bank records even though I disclosed the existence of my separate property interests that are also protected by our premarital agreement and separate property agreement,' Chen said in an affidavit.

Both exes will face off in court this month in their divorce proceedings, while Yu is expected to appear at an Orange County criminal court in May.