Ricki-Lee Coulter distances herself from her two cousins charged with murder.

When people are lifted out of small-town obscurity into fame, they often leave behind elements of their lives they’d rather forget.

This is true for Ricki-Lee Coulter, who this week has had to publicly distance herself from family members accused of two violent murders and serious drug charges.

Coulter, 30, swiftly brushed off questions about her cousin Lionel Patea, 24, who is charged with the horrific bashing murder of his estranged partner and mother of his child Tara Brown, 24.

“It is hard that my name is tied to that, but that is part of it [being famous],” Coulter told News Corp.

Patea and another of the singer’s cousins, Aaron Crawford, 27, have also been charged with the murder of father-of-one Greg Dufty, 37, who went missing on the Gold Coast in July. Crawford is also charged with misconduct with a corpse.

Crawford is apparently a former porn star whose appearance in x-rated photos on the internet created a scandal when he was mistaken for Coulter’s now ex-husband Jamie Babbington a few years ago after attending an awards ceremony with the singer.

Police believe Patea and Crawford were hired to murder Dufty over drug debts, reports Nine News.

The Gold Coast singer told News Corp she has had nothing to do with either of her cousins since well before the charges were laid.

“I am not in contact … I read about it all in the news. It is not something that is part of my life,” she said.

“It is sad but it is nothing to do with me. I don’t have anything to do with that part of the family.”

Coulter didn’t address the legal concerns of her stepfather John Sheerin, who is facing charges over growing hydroponic marijuana.

In another twist, earlier this year, Coulter mother’s property was searched by police for the body of missing Gold Coast woman Novy Chardon. There is no suggestion Loreto Sheerin, also known as Loretta, is involved in the crime.