The Bachelor’s Keira grew up in a ‘polygamist cult’ in Victoria

THE Bachelor’s Keira Maguire is known for her brutal honesty — but there’s something pretty big she has never mentioned.

KEIRA Maguire is easily the most brutally honest contestant in this season of The Bachelor, but there’s a huge detail about her past that she’s never mentioned.

According to Woman’s Day, the 30-year-old grew up in a polygamist cult in Victoria, which her father founded after fleeing New Zealand in the 1970s.

Former policeman Alistah Laishkochav reportedly believed himself to be a self-styled messiah, and settled with nine “wives” and 63 children in Bells Beach for much of Keira’s childhood.

The magazine reports they were shut off from most of the world, and told that outsiders were “evil.”

It seems it was Laishkochav himself who falls into that category - he was convicted of 20 child sex offences in 2000 after the cult had dissolved and later died in jail.

Keira has since confirmed at least some of the story, elaborating on her relationship with her father to news.com.au.

“I am not in a position to comment on Alistah Laishkochav. My mother removed my family from that environment when I was five years old, over 25 years ago,” she said in a statement.

“I was brought up by my mother and grandmother in Brisbane in a loving, caring and compassionate household. I had a wonderful childhood and I am extremely grateful to both my mother and grandmother for the upbringing which they provided me and my siblings. Although I have since met and reunited with my family, I have never had a relationship with Alistah Laishkochav.”

Keira also made it clear she doesn’t consider herself a victim.

“Alistah Laishkochav is not relevant to who I am nor does he define me.”

It’s a far cry from her current life; the outspoken reality star lives in the Eastern Suburbs and worked in real estate before signing up to search for love on national television.

She was recently pulled from the publicity trail, reportedly due to viewer backlash over her confrontational nature on the show.

Reality TV star Keira has come a long way from her cult upbringing.