Surprising Development in Case of Dermatologist Accused of Poisoning Her Husband's Tea With Drano

Drano, one of the most potent drain cleaners, can be incredibly hazardous to your health. "Drain cleaners contain very dangerous chemicals that can be harmful to your health if you swallow them, breathe them in (inhale), or if they come in contact with your skin and eyes," explains Mount Sinai. The poisonous ingredient in Drano? If consumed, sodium dioxide, according to the medical group, can result in a variety of symptoms, including severe abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, chest pain, throat pain, bloody vomiting, and rapid drop in blood pressure. And it can even kill you.

Earlier this year, a California dermatologist was charged with trying to kill her husband by poisoning him with Drano. During a hearing on Thursday, she entered a plea of not guilty – but there is an astonishing development in the case. Read on to learn more about the stormy divorce, secret cameras, FBI tests, and the dermatologist's current medical status.

On Thursday, Yue "Emily" Yu pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of poisoning and one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury after being indicted last month after she was caught on camera allegedly pouring Drano in her husband, Jack Chen's, tea. 

According to prosecutors, the couple was in the midst of a stormy divorce when Chen started noting a "strange" taste in his drink. He decided to set up a camera to see if his hunch was correct. 

In July 2022, Yu was filmed allegedly pouring liquid Drano into her husband's drink thrice. She would wait until her husband got up and left his drink on the table before pouring in the toxic chemicals. 

Her husband took samples of the drink and turned them over to authorities. The FBI tested the tea and found Drano in the drink, according to the prosecution. According to court documents, Chen suffered from two stomach ulcers, esophagitis, and gastritis as a result of drinking the poisoned tea. 

Yu was arrested in August 2022 and released on a $30,000 bond. Her former husband also had a restraining order issued against her, so she would be unable to see her children. She is facing a total of eight years and eight months if convicted. 

The biggest surprise during the court hearing on Thursday was that Yu is still practicing medicine. She uses her medical license, classified as "renewed and current" on the Medical Board of California's website, with an expiration date of 2024. According to the agreement, she can continue practicing medicine pending the outcome of the trial. 

Yu's attorney maintains that his client is innocent. "'The backdrop of all these facts, obviously, is the high-stakes divorce litigation that is going on," they said. "He's falsely claiming that she's trying to poison him. Instead of calling 911, he calls a divorce lawyer."