While MAFS’ Steve Burley didn’t explicitly state Mishel Karen leaked the abhorrent photos showing him impersonating Adolf Hitler and mimicking Asian features, he certainly implied she was behind the shocking exposé.
Now, after the disgusting and highly offensive images sent shock waves through the nation, his television wife has broken her silence, admitting she hadn’t even seen them before they were publicised.
“I suffered enough on that show,” she told Daily Mail Australia. “Steve is very good at telling me throughout the entire series and afterwards that he has my back and then he insinuating I leaked these.
“I have been nothing but supportive of Steve, not bagging him or anything, and then I am told he is making fun of me,” Mishel added, clearly aggravated and devastated by the photo of Steve pretending to be an “Asian Mishel”.
While it’s unclear who shared the photos— which were sent on a private WhatsApp chat—with the press, the mum-of-two said she wouldn’t put it past Steve to leak them himself!
To provide some context, Steve had apparently sent the “Hitler” image in a MAFS group chat— titled “The Kids”— with the question, “Who am I?” He also shared another photo to a separate MAFS group— titled “Fruitloops & Misfits”—using his fingers to pull his eyelids down to appear like “an Asian Mishel”.
The shocking pictures were initially obtained by The Daily Telegraph, who reached out to the 51-year-old hairdresser for comment, however, he said he wasn’t willing to elaborate.
“I have no comment to make on that, no comment,” the controversial reality TV star told the publication. “It was just a bit of fun with some friends I think … with the rest of the group I think.”
Acknowledging this poor excuse was totally unacceptable, Channel Nine stepped in and released a statement which was apparently written by Steve.
“This is a private message that was never intended to be made public, but I can see that it is culturally insensitive and I regret it,” the statement read. “I am deeply sorry if I have offended anyone.”
Dr Dvir Abramovich— Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission and leader of Australia’s civil rights organisation— also released a damning statement, berating Steve for even taking considering these callous photographs.
“This is beyond insensitive and tasteless, and Steve Burley should do some serious soul searching about this deplorable actions,” he said. “I should not have to say this in 2020, but there is nothing entertaining or laughable about Hitler, a monster responsible for the murder of six million Jews and millions of others.”
He continued: “Perhaps Steve should talk to those survivors who lost children, parents and relatives to Hitler’s evil regime. A brutal dictator, responsible for the extermination of so many, should not be the subject of a joke, private or not.
“‘One can only imagine the pain and moral offence a Holocaust survivor would feel hearing about this incident. I call on Steve Burley to personally apologise for his hurtful conduct and to visit the Holocaust Museum,” he concluded.
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