Wellness blogger admits she lied about having terminal cancer
An Australian cancer advocate and author who claimed to have beat the disease with a healthy diet, never even had cancer -- she's just the mastermind of an elaborate hoax. 23-year-old Belle Gibson admitted to Australian Women's Weekly she fabricated every detail of her illness and miracle cure.
"No. None of it's true," she confessed.
Gibson began spreading her lies two years ago via social media. She claimed to have had a malignant brain tumor that would kill her in a few months, but then healed herself using nothing but alternative treatments, exercise, and a healthy diet.
As her following grew she created "The Whole Pantry" app to inspire people to live and eat healthier, and wrote a cookbook based on that app -- bringing in more than a million dollars. But then a number of media outlets started questioning the inconsistencies of her story.
In March, Fairfax Media reported that despite her claims she donated $300,000 of proceeds to charity, she never gave away a dime.
In her interview with Australian Women's Weekly, Gibson explains that she isn't looking for forgiveness, which is good because I don't think she'll get any. If someone battling cancer decided to forgo medical treatment because of Gibson's story, then the hoax could be responsible for potential deaths.Apple has since dropped the "Whole Pantry" app and Penguin Australia has stopped distributing the cookbook.
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