Brooke Bellamy has broken her silence on the ‘plagiarism’ scandal that once threatened to derail her booming baking empire.
The Brisbane-based star baker has insisted she refused to be drawn into a public spat she ‘didn’t invite’ herself into.
Speaking candidly on The Balance Theory Podcast, the entrepreneur addressed the fallout from the explosive feud with Nagi Maehashi, and revealed the mindset that helped her weather one of the most talked-about food controversies of 2025.
At the height of the drama, Brooke – the face behind the viral brand Brooki Bakehouse – was three months pregnant when she found herself at the centre of allegations from the RecipeTin Eats founder, who claimed two recipes – caramel slice and baclava – in her cookbook bore striking similarities to her own.
But rather than fight back publicly, Brooke said she made a deliberate decision to stay silent.
‘I’ve come to peace with the terms that on the internet people can say whatever they want about you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true,’ she told the host.
‘As a human being… your integrity is everything that you have, so when someone questions that… you can really take it on board.’
She also admitted in the chat that the initial wave of commentary was difficult, but ultimately chose restraint over retaliation.
Brooke Bellamy (pictured), the face behind viral brand Brooki Bakehouse, has broken her silence on the ‘plagiarism’ scandal that once threatened to derail her booming baking empire
Speaking candidly on The Balance Theory Podcast, the Brisbane-based entrepreneur addressed the fallout from the explosive feud with Nagi Maehashi, and revealed the mindset that helped her weather one of the most talked-about food controversies of 2025
‘I think I did in the initial stages, but… I am the sum of my actions, not of my words.
‘So, in that moment, I chose very deliberately not to react and not to add to this narrative of “she said, she said”… pitting two women against each other.’
The controversy, which erupted in April 2025, saw Nagi Maehashi publicly allege that Bellamy’s Bake With Brooki cookbook included two of her plagiarised recipes.
Bellamy strongly denied the claims at the time, stating: ‘I do not copy other people’s recipes.’
The saga quickly snowballed, with publishers, chefs and even international bakers weighing in, while social media users and her die-hard followers dissected every detail.
Now, reflecting on the ordeal, Brooke said the temptation to defend herself publicly came down to one thing: her ego.
‘Your integrity is questioned and also the only thing to gain there out of adding to that noise… is probably protecting your own ego,’ she explained.
‘Everyone around me knows me. Everyone in my community knows me… I’ve worked really hard to be here. So, I think you just have to decide… am I adding any value by adding noise? Or am I just adding noise?’
At the height of the drama, Brooke found herself at the centre of allegations from RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi (pictured), who claimed recipes in her cookbook bore striking similarities to her own
The controversy, which erupted in April 2025, saw Nagi Maehashi publicly allege that Bellamy’s Bake With Brooki cookbook included recipes too similar to her own, as well as others from high-profile authors. Bellamy strongly denied the claims at the time, stating: ‘I do not copy other people’s recipes’
Behind the scenes, Ms Bellamy credits her husband for helping her reframe the situation with a more pragmatic lens.
‘He saw it very black and white… for him it’s just like, “this is just business.” Business is business,’ she said.
And, while she admitted she struggled with that perspective initially, it ultimately helped her zoom out from the emotional toll of the backlash.
‘It was really important for me to kind of… take the time and just be like, well, as I keep going down this path, as I keep building this global business, I am going to be open to more scrutiny.’
And with that growth, she said, comes an unavoidable reality of criticism.
Now, reflecting on the ordeal, Brooke said the temptation to defend herself publicly came down to one thing. ‘Your integrity is questioned and also the only thing to gain there out of adding to that noise… is probably protecting your own ego,’ she explained
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At her lowest point, Brooke revealed it was a simple question from her husband that grounded her: how she would want her children to reflect on this later in life.
Her answer was clear: ‘I don’t want to be a part of a narrative that I didn’t invite myself into.’
The original dispute sent shockwaves through Australia’s food industry, with Nagi Maehashi alleging Bellamy had copied her recipes for caramel slice and baklava.
Brooke denied all allegations and said her work was the result of ‘countless hours’ of baking experience.
Penguin, the publisher behind Bake With Brooki, also rejected the claims, stating the recipes were her own.
Now, nearly a year on, Brooke appears focused on moving forward and solely on the bigger picture, as well as scaling her company around the world
At the time, Nagi said she spoke out to ‘remind influencers and publishers that stealing work is not okay,’ while also urging followers to stop personal attacks against Brooke.
The debate reignited broader questions around recipe ownership, which is a notoriously grey area in the culinary world, and divided both fans and industry insiders.
Now, nearly a year on, Brooke appears focused on moving forward and solely on the bigger picture, as well as scaling her company around the world.
Her comments suggest a shift from reaction to reflection, as she continues to expand her brand globally, including recent Instagram posts showing her expansion into London.
It’s a stance that, in the age of viral outrage and online pile-ons, may resonate far beyond the kitchen.
