Career
The couple had been in the process of getting a divorce, but had continued to share their condominium. Kieu called the police after the incident. He had emergency surgery at University of California Irvine Medical Center, and was released, but did not have his penis reattached.
He is able to urinate, but unable to have sexual intercourse.
He stated at trial that as a result of the assault and permanent injury to his genitalia, he felt as if he had been murdered. Kieu was charged with false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated mayhem, poisoning, administering a drug with intent to commit a felony, and spousal abuse.
She was held in an Orange County, California jail on a $1 million bond. The case went to trial in April 2013 and Kieu was indicted of torture and aggravated mayhem.
She pled not guilty. Frank Bittar, her public defender, argued that Kieu had been subjected to sexual and verbal abuse.
During her childhood in Vietnam, Kieu had been subjected to molestation and other abuse. Bittar stated that Kieu"s husband "demanded sex in ways that caused her pain" and that his client had "a break from reality" when she committed the crime. Deputy District Attorney John Christl told reporters: "This woman went to extreme lengths to destroy this man"s manhood by placing it in the garbage disposal.
She did this out of vengeance, vanity and jealousy."
She was found guilty on April 29, 2013 of both torture and aggravated mayhem.
She was sentenced on June 28, 2013, and received life in prison with the possibility of parole after seven years. Sharon Osbourne and other co-hosts joked about the incident and made light of Kieu"s crimes on the daytime television show The Talk.
Regarding the incident, Osbourne said "I don"t know the circumstances. However, I do think it"s quite fabulous." Company-host Sara Gilbert said "..it is a little bit sexist.
If somebody cut a woman"s breast off, nobody would be sitting laughing.".
