Last night, while I was catching up on some of my TV shows, I caught an advertisement for the new Apple Watch. Contrary to my normal habit of quickly fast-forwarding through commercials, I slowed this one way down and paused it at a spot where the face of the watch displays the apps which have been pre-selected to come on every new watch. In the bottom left of the watch I could make out a little green square with two little white leaves on it. It was The Whole Pantry app. Now I do not know if it is because this was a particularly emotional episode of Better Call Saul (even Mike Ehrmantraut lost his cool), but at that moment I felt a small pang of pity for Belle Gibson. Her star was rising and this was supposed to be the beginning of a great career. Of the thousands of health and wellness apps, hers was going to be the flagship Apple Watch app. Whether people wanted it or not, everyone who bought an Apple Watch would have her app (until they deleted it).
I can see how Apple was so taken with Belle Gibson and her app. Here she was, a young, pretty woman overcoming cancer, and glowing with radiance the whole time. How could they resist? They could have a "face" associated with their new product that was not one of the middle-aged guys who run the company. It would be a way to honor the late Steve Jobs, who was also into natural health and wellness. If you know the story of how Steven Jobs died, then this might be a bit macabre, but Apple went with it nonetheless. Belle Gibson was going to prove to the world the thing that Steve Jobs couldn't: good diet and natural wellness could cure cancer. If they only knew.
Before the charity scandal broke, Apple said they had a "big announcement" about Belle and The Whole Pantry coming on Monday, an announcement that never came. What sort of "big plans" did they have in store for Belle? I am guessing that whatever it was, it was set to make her much richer than she ever dreamed of. No doubt Apple believed they would be able to handle the charity money scandal. After all, a large investment of time and money had gone into this. Surely it was cheaper to salvage The Whole Pantry's reputation than to start all over, and, though the Luddite in me has little idea as to how these things actually work, I assumed that the watches were "ready to go" and that removal of the app would be impossible to accomplish so shortly before they went out on the market. The scandal broke over the weekend, so it would just be a matter of coming back to work on Monday, rolling up their sleeves, and dealing with it. But then came the whole "Belle does not actually have cancer" scandal, and this is something that Apple cannot possibly dig themselves out of. They will have to distance themselves from Belle, and quickly. The only thing I can think of is that they will develop or license another wellness app and offer it as a free download. Will they keep Belle's app as simply another option? Will they refuse to sell it on their store? Did Belle Gibson breach her contract with Apple in some way? At the end of the day, my guess is that they will swiftly and quietly sever their relationship with Belle and The Whole Pantry. They will go their separate ways and never speak of it again. Well, at least Apple will never speak of it again. When it comes to Belle, I am dying to hear what she has to say.
Specifically, they said they had an "exciting announcement," not "big plans." My theory is that the "exciting announcement" was that Belle had successfully cured her terminal, metastatic cancer/s.
ReplyDelete^Just to clarify: "...that Belle had SUPPOSEDLY cured her cancer." I'm thinking she planned to surprise everybody with this miraculous news, at just the right time, and watch her net worth skyrocket.
DeleteWe were also promised 'exciting news' and 'a big announcement' from Jess Ainscough.
DeleteIt is just a trick to keep viewers tuned-in.
I thought it was some business venture thing more than anything related to her health. If anyone at Apple wishes to email me (confidentially) and tell me what it was, please do so at violetrealitybased@gmail.com
DeleteAnonymous, I know it's a trick; all marketing is. The difference in this case is that a multinational corporation (Apple) is stringing us along, and not just a woo blogger. Apple is not really in the business of promising exciting news and then failing to deliver.
DeleteViolet, genuine question: what makes you think it was a business venture? Belle told Apple she had months to live, sold them an app, and now I'm betting she's revealed to them - on the eve of the big reveal of the app (and her book) that SURPRISE! She could the cancer. If Apple made that announcement in tandem with the Apple watch, imagine the publicity for them and for Belle. Still business-related, but not necessarily in the sense of a new business venture. I'm guessing, though. It's just the impression I got from what I read.
*CURED the cancer. Sorry.
DeleteYou could be right. It just seems like even Apple would approach that announcement with a bit incredulity. But who knows? I just assumed it was some sort of tech-related thing. Also, Belle Gibson likes "having cancer".
DeleteAh, good point Violet. What would she do without it? On the other hand, I don't know how long she could sustain fake cancer. Did she think she could just fake going in and out of remission for the rest of her life?
DeleteSome brain cancers are really slow growing. I have a friend that got a pituitary gland cancer diagnosed at 20. At 40 it was large enough that surgery was necessary to remove both it and the pituitary gland. They didn't get all of it, and it is expected that in 20-30 years he will start having symptoms again. I don't know... she looks really puffy in recent photographs, like someone on steroids (which slow cancer growth). Or, she's just been living it up and gaining weight.
DeletePersonally, I think she was a dysfunctional 17 year old, told a lie and had to sustain it. What amazes me is that at no stage does it seem that someone tried to save her from herself. I mean, if I had a friend, or family member that was getting publicity off a big fib, I'd be making sure people knew that before it got out of control. Neither the book publisher, nor Apple checked into her story? There is something very strange going on. Nobody stepping up to say either 'yes, she has cancer' or 'no, she definitely doesn't'.
As for the business stuff, that's easier to understand. I think she was too young, uneducated in business, running the thing practically on her own and had no idea how to do it, or how to handle the big money coming in. Five months having the books investigated sounds like a tax dept audit to me.
her recorded interview
Deletehttp://www.techguide.com.au/news/apps-news-feed/embattled-whole-pantry-developer-belle-gibson-told-tech-guide-she-was-diagnosed-with-cancer-twice/
This article from siliconangle.com:
ReplyDeletehttp://siliconangle.com/blog/2015/03/11/belle-gibson-scam/
Let me tell you, I WAS planning on buying an apple watch, I have an iPhone and generally enjoy Apple products in general. If Belle Gibson and her sham of a company aren't removed from their products, of if she profits in any way from them, I for no one will no longer be using Apple products. They obviously aren't very diligent or thorough in who they choose to endorse! It's all about money money money. This whole story absolutely disgusts me, and thinking about the lives she and others like she put at grave risk is horrific. (Ding ding ding - Steve jobs) Surely Apple won't be giving her a cent now? this whole story makes my blood boil.
ReplyDeleteYes, Belle Gibson might have made a very good career for herself if she'd just stuck to cookery and food styling. But I guess she felt she needed an edge if she wanted to expand her profile exponentially. She wanted to become rich and famous.
ReplyDeleteShe was greedy to the point of not caring about her customers' welfare and that is inexcusable.
I'm curious about how much of it was Belle's work.
DeleteShe used food stylist Lee Blaylock for the app and book, so I'm thinking she just came up with the recipes?
Unless she paid someone to create the recipes as well? Or copied them from elsewhere and changed them slightly to avoid suspicion?
I know for a fact that her almond cookies recipe was plagiarised from a mutual friend. She lives in Canada, so I doubt she's even noticed.
DeleteI'd hazard an educated guess that all of her recipes are at least in part plagiarised.
I've been thinking about those issues myself. She was such an attractive figurehead for a company - young (younger than she claimed), beautiful, flashing that huge smile (veneers), and of course battling a terminal illness with grace and mysterious resilience. I wouldn't mind betting that all this time she's been little more than a "mascot," and whenever times get tough she says "oh, I won't be well enough to come up with all the recipes myself..." and her staff would rush in to cover her.
DeleteNo she doesnt cook and or do food styling. It was all done by her 'friends' - her dedications in her book....
DeleteI am thinking she might just be a victim herself. As someone said on this blog, she is not that articulate in her interviews. I realise some people are better at written communication than they are at verbal but, honestly, I don't see her writing all these press releases, etc. If you read her old messages on the Skateboarding forum and on Twitter (which has been deleted now, btw), she sounds like someone who can't put two words together in a sentence. In short, I just don't think she is that smart to pull off something like that on her own. She might have a propensity to lie and/or a fertile imagination. Something might have been happening with her health in 2009 when she was 17 - still practically a kid. She might have inflated/embellished whatever was going on to get sympathy or because she was scared. She then got into "detoxing" and the like (according to the messages on Twitter, where she did actually follow some cancer related accounts). And then somebody saw an opportunity and used her as a "front" for this business and essentially took over her story.
ReplyDeleteShe also might have seen some "healers" that diagnosed her with more cancer and, it's quite possible, she believed them. She could be manipulated by someone behind the scenes. Her partner, perhaps? Isn't it strange that he is not in any of the pictures or videos - even the one that was shot at her house? Her son was there, but her partner is nowhere to be seen nor heard. Could he be the one who orchestrated the whole thing?
Think about it. In 2009, judging by the old messages and tweets, she was a lonely, needy high school drop out, who moved around without a sense of purpose or direction in life. In 2010 she was a single teenage mother. Not the greatest start to life (even leaving 'cancer' diagnosis aside). And then just in three years what a turn around!
CLIVE ROTHWELL
DeleteI have thought this too - that she seems not to be very articulate, but her marketing and fitting into the 'wellness' manifesto completely contradicted that. She appeared intelligent, articulate, sincere. I think it's a team effort, but I think she is totally culpable. I can see people already saying 'poor Belle' and I think she has chosen very careful what to delete on instagram/Facebook to appear more the victim.
DeleteClive is a programmer he originally helped her conceptualize the app, contributed funds for the start up, pays the rent on the apartment and is involved with TWP.
DeleteShe's not being "manipulated by someone behind the scenes." It's her doing. At 17, she was already claiming to have died on the operating table during heart surgery so that her skateboarding friends would send her flowers. She quickly realised that with bigger lies, she could get something more than flowers. This isn't a case of a naive girl being manipulated by several men. It's just fraud, plain and simple. It worked for longer than it should have, but the internet was ripe for it. And now she's busted.
DeleteYes she is the one at the front of the helm. He may be the business manager but she is the one doing the talking. Yes her recipes were plagiarized.
Deleteoh believe me she is articulate, speaks in the same convincing flowery way as she writes. She's also able to cry on demand. She once had a melt down on her personal fb (which she set to public viewing) when someone commented how she looked pretty healthy for someone with cancer. Not forgetting her many public crying scenes in her speeches for a Fierce Woman charity event, her book launch etc
DeleteYou can hear her giving an interview to Tech Guide a few months ago in Cupertino here: http://www.techguide.com.au/news/apps-news-feed/embattled-whole-pantry-developer-belle-gibson-told-tech-guide-she-was-diagnosed-with-cancer-twice/
ReplyDelete“Five years ago I was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer – I’m really honest about my journey with my health,” she told Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech during the podcast interview.
“It’s funny that I’m here – all of my friends and family said ‘Belle you can’t go’. Six weeks ago I was re-diagnosed with multiple cancers – but I’m feeling on top of the world."
Riiiiiight......
Continues on to lie about the donations too.
What a despicable human.
That interview is vomit inducing.
DeleteAny sympathy I felt for this girl is well and truly gone.
And any claims for any sort of mental issue are defunct too – this girl is 100% a dirty con artist who has no ethics nor integrity. She's just a greedy and dirty little liar.
I first read about her in a December 2014 article with Elle Magazine, where they marvelled at how "radiant" she looked and how, despite constant seizures, she seemed to be always travelling. At the end, she said "I refuse to play the victim." That made me pretty angry. Terminally ill people are not "PLAYING the victim." They're literally victims of a terminal illness. Ugh.
Delete@Ella you're right. can you imagine if you're struggling with cancer and then start comparing yourself to the very radiant "cancer-thriving" Belle. How awful that must feel??
DeleteI find is very strange that no other social media identities have made any public comments about the situation, particularly given that so many of them were directly or indirectly involved with her ? I am also stunned that she has not been forced to answer any of the accusations being made against her, especially as the book is about to be launched in the US and the scandal has received very little "mainstream" international media coverage there !
ReplyDeleteIt irritates me too. Where is the word from Apple? From Penguin? From Simon and Schuster? How is it that Belle was able to present her incredulous story to so many people without anyone REALLY questioning her?
DeleteThe thing that disturbs me the most is that I think a lot of these people actually believe that a person can survive terminal brain cancer with "kale and white light".
I find it strange too. I know of a lot of social media "personalities" (pffft) who were spruiking her just days ago ... yet none of them have made follow up comments or even replied to people who have queried their thoughts. It could be that perhaps these bloggers etc were all paid to make these glowing posts about The Whole Pantry ... makes sense that they haven't retracted as they have been or are waiting for payment. They are probably also trying to get hold of her themselves to find out whether or not a retraction is in their best interests (aka not defamatory).
DeleteAlso, I am actually kind of disgusted that neither Lantern/Penguin or Apple have made a public statement to advise the public they're taking what's happening seriously and are aware of what's happening. Personally, the damage extends to both their brands. It is blowing my mind that these well known, international companies – big players within their industries – did not do their homework on who this girl. I can't believe that these companies have been happily selling claims made by a fraud whose claims and stories have not shred of merit or truth to them. Then there's the fact that by the sounds of it the recipes and "ideas" are most likely not even the original brain child of Belle or her TWP team (if a team even exists). I can't understand how these two companies have helped sell advice from someone who has ZERO credentials and ZERO experience.
It's all well and truly disturbing!!!
I would guess that Apple and Lantern are still trying to get in touch with her to discuss it all before they make any comment. Or maybe she went to the US to try and salvage things with Apple?
DeleteI got vetted better for internship when I was studying. The thing I do not understand is that it is for their own benefit to look into someone like Belle. Who will be paying for the book refunds? It won't be Belle. Penguin will pick up that tab. I noticed on Amazon that Simon and Schuster already has Belle's book available for pre-order. Not a single book has even been shipped yet and they are already in a pickle. And Apple is on the hook for replacing the app entirely. Belle can easily become insolvent and avoid paying anyone off, but these corporations do not have that option.
DeleteI agree that Belle won't be held accountable – wouldn't be surprised if she makes a surprise trip to somewhere like the Bahamas!!! Both companies could very well find themselves in hot water in relation to court cases – I can't believe there was no fact checking from either camp.
DeleteI also can't believe that Penguin/Lantern were quoted as saying "taken in good faith". Who is the dweeb that gave this girl a book deal?! I would have thought the first thing within a publishing house is that they have to fact check and cross reference.
Heads MUST be rolling, surely?!
Really itching for them to release public statements (agree that they are probably waiting to contact Ms Gibson before going public – but I find it odd that neither have released "we will make further comment shortly" statements). Also eagerly awaiting an update on the TWP Facebook page.
Who takes a fantastical tale in "good faith"? That makes no sense. Meh. They just saw that she already had a lot of facebook and instagram followers and figured a profit was certain and that was the beginning and end of their "vetting process".
DeleteSlightly off topic, but I was glad to see Pete Evans' cookbook for babies is on hold because health professionals have raised concerns that his recipe for a formula substitute (!) could actually result in babies dying.
DeletePublishers just need to apply a bit of a critical filter all round.
I am bloody glad to see that those concerns have been made about Pete Evan's book. Another damn "social media celebrity" who's preaching stuff he has no credentials for.
DeletePete Evans is a CHEF and his books should be about cooking food – they should not be sold with messaging of lifestyle, health and wellness. He has absolutely no business nor the credentials or experience to be making recommendations to parents about how to make home made baby formula.
And look, his formula has been outed as having extremely high doses of vitamin A that can be fatal for infants. WTF?! When did the world go mad and start taking advice from people with heavily filtered pictures on Instagram accounts filled with quotes like "LOVE AND LIGHT" and "ACTIVATE YOUR ALMONDS" while simultaneously turning away from specialists and doctors and pharmacists who have experience in their practiced fields and who have studied for decades and continuously update their skills and knowledge.
What on earth is going on here?! Look, I believe that natural therapies CAN and DO work, but it's best to seek these alongside conventional medicine. There's a place – and pros and cons – for both, but I genuinely believe that you must always do your utmost research and speak to PROFESSIONALS and if in doubt, always seek a second and even third opinion. When seeking natural therapies I only ever visit practitioners with the right credentials and experience. And I always see practitioners who I know will speak up when they believe conventional medicine is required. And the same goes with GPs – there's great value in conventional doctors who can see the benefit of natural therapies. However I would never replace medicine with natural therapy – they should always co-exist.
I certainly would NEVER seek the advise of some social media persona or base my diet or lifestyle on their recommendations. Who are they other than well oiled PR machines with an Instagram filter? It scares me that people have turned to the likes of Gibson and Evans and TRUST their advice. Advice which does not hold true merit or long term results.
People really are getting more stupid by the day. Sigh.
From the Herald Sun website:
DeleteAn Apple spokeswoman yesterday said it was “too early to say” whether the company would be removing Ms Gibson’s app — which was downloaded 200,000 times in the first month — from its app store.
Ellie, "natural therapies" that work are just called "conventional medicine." The issue isn't that these people are advocating a healthy diet for cancer patients, which ALL doctors would do, it's that they're claiming eating certain foods and ELIMINATING certain foods (and "chemicals," and medicines, and vaccines) can actually cure and prevent serious diseases. You're right though, all this wellness woo is getting way out of hand. I hope with this and Jess Ainscough's death people sit up and take notice.
DeleteViolet what's your email address
ReplyDeleteShe listed it above as violetrealitybased@gmail.com
DeleteHas anyone else noticed a common link between many of these internet based self help health/lifestyle/life coaching identities .. B School. I have completed the B School program and fear that it has played a significant role in encouraging many of these people to believe that they are equipped to re-invent their lives and spread their words of love and light, all whilst collecting a nice affiliate fee from those who also join the program ...
ReplyDeleteIn a word: Yes.
DeleteAfter completing b-school (or "sexy hot healthy" or whatever its stupid name was before), Jessica Ainscough morphed from a folksy, authentic (if completely deluded and misguided, and totally exasperating to those of us who tried to engage her in rational debate) diary-style blogger who spoke quite directly to her readers, into a polished, anodyne saleswoman who constantly pushed affiliation and nonstop 'buy my shit'.
What do you think of b-school? All I know of it is that people like Jess made me instantly suspicious of it, and then there are forums like this which indicate Marie Forleo is a major scam artist:
http://getoffmyinternets.net/forums/lifestyle-bloggers/marie-forleoe-and-b-school/page-35/
I could not agree more ! I found that it was almost like a cult - you can't question, criticize or disagree with the School or Marie without the converted throwing around phrases like "not being ready to reach your full potential" etc.
DeleteWhilst I agree with the message that an individual should strive to reach their potential, achieve their best life etc, I truly don't think that this needs to include taking on a new persona, becoming a new age salesperson hidden behind a veil of (often) "health and wellness" or relying on affiliate payments to sustain your amazing new life. Realistically, I do wonder how many of these "holistic life coaches" and the like make a viable living - with no real training and a belief, encouraged by B School that they have the skills within, they are hardly in a position to provide good advice to their readers, many of whom are often in a vulnerable position when they are first introduced to these sites ,,, Maybe this whole TWP episode may encourage the media to investigate some of these other sites/identities ...
what is B-school??
DeleteI for one won't be buying an apple watch until her bloody app is deleted !!!
ReplyDeleteThere is such a growing breed of these beautiful people in long flowing dresses sharing love, light and posting inspirational quotes ad nauseam. Yes, they are mainly B-School or similar MLM graduates where content represents a minor part of the course and sucking people in is the major part - sign up, I love you, you get to meet me, I will hold your hand.....ugh! Has anyone scrolled through Melissa Ambrosini's FB page?
ReplyDeleteSorry if I am off topic in this thread but there is such a pattern that's so obviously linked to these lifestyle wellness entrepreneurs. Belle may not have been a B-School graduate, she was in a class all of her own!
Ugh - yes Melissa Ambrosini - and the rest of them. Susanna Frioni sums up the image of the B-school cult - click the video on this page for a laugh. http://susanafrioni.com/sacreddanceparty/
DeleteA cup of tea and a good lie down has the same effect on me. LOL.....
DeleteThis video sure convinced me.....
https://vimeo.com/118664026
Thanks for the laughs. But that was also very weird!!
DeleteOh, you guys are obviously not "gamechangers." The poor girl is just trying to sell her epic crocheted underwear. If I have understood her video correctly.
DeleteI thought maybe I was paranoid about the B-School link, interesting to see others noticed, too. I had actually sent an e-mail to one of the reporters about this.
DeleteMy favorite recent example of the value of the content (when it is not downright harmful, as in spreading fallacies about cancer) is another B-Schooler Tara Bliss. In Facebook there is a picture of her on the beach with a raised leg and text "Love your legs. They're good to you".
Seriously?
I'd love to have Mamamia have a dig at these B-schoolers!
DeleteI agree - fundamentally it is on topic as, as you mention, there is such a strong link between so many of these wellness "experts" and B School. Whilst Belle may not have been an official graduate, there is extensive reference to her on the sites of many many other graduates and in some of the B School forums. I also read that the affiliate program is far more lucrative than I had first thought .... a 50% cut of the $2000 course fee for each sign up. At $1000 a pop it is not hard to see that revenue for many of these "love and lighters" is more about a somewhat suspect marketing scheme than a viable business plan and real expertise ...
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain to me what this B-school thing is? I heard it mentioned in connection with Jessica Ainscough too. Is it a seminar in how to sell stuff to the masses?
ReplyDeleteIts an 8 week online course - lots of wellness bloggers like Melissa Ambrossoni, Jess Ainscough, Tara Bliss etc etc have done.
Deletehttp://www.marieforleo.com/bschool/
- Rachael
Have a read of this.
Deletehttp://getoffmyinternets.net/forums/lifestyle-bloggers/marie-forleoe-and-b-school/
Cool. Thanks.
DeleteA LOT, if not most, of these wellness bloggers have done B School and/or the School of Integrative Nutrition I think its called..
Deletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2990598/She-tried-convince-not-vaccinate-kids-Belle-Gibson-s-betrayed-former-friend-says-Pantry-founder-come-clean-truth-cancer-survival-story.html
ReplyDeleteUnder the mantra - "You deserve the business and life you love" B School is an 8 week online program that teaches "online marketing strategies to business owners who want more sales and more impact from their online presence", For a little over US$2000 the course is designed to "turn your business into a force for good that fuels higher profits and your higher purpose". Personally I found most of the information could be easily accessed from any half decent small business guide and if you do not agree with any of the material or believe it is useful you are probably "not committed enough" or "open to change". Graduates are then encouraged to become affiliates for the program which is where many people really make their money. You will find it hard to find criticism of the program online as most graduates want to be affiliates and, you guessed it, once you breathe a word of criticism you can kiss goodbye any affiliate income ! I am not saying that all participants are dodgy or being ripped off, but there is a definite whiff of something not quire right about the whole thing ... Link is http://www.marieforleo.com/bschool/.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Interesting. Sounds basically like any of those somehow-legal pyramid schemes. And obviously they're just selling an image. Wish I'd thought of that.
DeleteDon't get me started - strip away the swish web design and chatty videos it is basically a pyramid scheme hiding behind the desire for personal growth !
DeleteThat latest Dailymail article is based on an interview with someone who never even met Belle in real life... I find it interesting that nobody who actually knows her in real life has actually said anything that proves she DID NOT have cancer and that to me is a bit odd. Everyone has been so quick to damn the girl....
ReplyDeleteThe onus is on Belle to provide proof that she DID have cancer, as that was what she claimed.
DeleteIt's not up to her friends to provide proof either way (and I'm not sure what type of solid proof they could provide anyway). It's up to Belle.
To be fair, I think it is more her lack of response/s that has caused the public reaction. A simple statement from her or her representatives could have clarified the situation. Either she is telling the truth or she is not. It is also interesting to note that no other public figures have publicly come out to support her ... if there was ever a time to do so it would have been now ...
DeleteWe cannot prove a negative; that's impossible.
DeleteI'm just saying there's no proof she did and there's no proof she didn't, there has just been doubt cast on whether she actually did have it and until we know....
DeleteThere is a lot of EVIDENCE that she didn't have cancer. Belle Gibson, can, at any moment, come forward with the proof that she has cancer. Sometimes we do not have the luxury of proof. Sometimes all we have is a whole lot of really good evidence.
DeleteShe tearfully admitted to The Australian that she believes she was "misled" about having cancer. Numerous friends have actually come forward, but without putting their names in print, for obvious reasons. She has declined to offer documentary evidence of pathology or even doctors' appointments. And as others have said, the responsibility to clear this up lands squarely on Belle herself. "Quick the damn" the girl?!? We've been too slow.
DeleteWas there a video of her 'tearfully admitting' the misdiagnosis?
DeleteThe only thing that we know for sure is that you can't cure cancer with a diet... but if she does have cancer then what? Curing it with her recipe book is still a lie...
DeleteI agree, the ball is in her court to clear this up, I'm just saying there has been nobody in her real life that has said anything. By all accounts she was apparently popular, had tons of friends, a few partners, etc. But there's been nothing from any of them to say she was making it up besides people either 'knowing her online/in forums" or "knowing her ages ago on 2007, 2009" etc... Just something that's also looking suspicious. Nothing has been proven, and I think the backlash is pretty full-on given that we really still don't know....
ReplyDeleteI think her close friends (all of who were thanked in her book) and even a potential business partner (who was also a close friend) confronted her about the claims last year. They're the ones who have been speaking to the media. I think you will find that a lot of the people who knew her back in 2009 are former friends for a reason and their confirmation of the lies (her age, heart disease and the rest of the dribble) are just more reason to not believe a word that comes out of this persons mouth. We all know she doesn't have cancer. We just need her to confirm it. In my opinion the backlash hasn't been big enough.
DeleteDo you have the book?
DeleteNope... Thankfully I have a brain. That information comes from the investigative journalists at the Australian and the Age. They've spoken to those people thanked in the book and confronted her last year. Here's the thing! Those publications will very rarely pursue of publish claims like this unless it is 99.99% accurate. They get "legalled" comprehensively. You can pretty much guarantee that they're on the money. It's too expensive otherwise.
DeleteI don't know... if the book publishers didn't fact check, and today's newspaper headlines are references to a couple twitter posting from 6 years ago, I wouldn't be putting all my faith in newspaper journalists' abilities to be 99.99% accurate, (the twitter postings look bad but they are from so long ago, are they really proving anything? That's nothing more than a beat up) remember newspapers also have an agenda and that is to sell papers. Hey, they could be closer to the truth than anything else but we still need more details. Good thing you didn't get the book! :)
DeleteI am a journalist (not investigative) and I also publish a magazine that I own. So I'm pretty aware of the journalists legal and ethical protocols that they follw. Although I am not writing anything to do with Belle I am fascinated by it. Hence being on this blog. I wouldn't rely on any journo being 99.99% accurate either but combined with the legal teams they're right up there. If they weren't all we would ever read in newspapers are retractions that are enforced by the courts or the Press Council. The only real detail we can get now are from Belle herself. The longer she leaves it the worse it will be. You can pretty much guarantee that it's all true. The journos in question would have been working on this for weeks and she would have known the whole time what was going on. She would have been the first person they called. If any of it wasn't true she would have contacted a PR and a lawyer straight away and we would have never heard about it. Her lack of action and the actions she has taken (removing her digital fingerprint) strongly hints that all is amiss. Which is strange as she has a lot to lose. In regards to the book I'm pretty sure if I do a google search I would be able to find "her" recipes (They might just be written by someone else). Saved myself 40 bucks there I think ; )
DeleteYou only need to look at how much media coverage she got before this - while she was the 'game changer, young business mum, entrepreneur, extraordinaire' - all without checking the facts - TV interviews, write ups in glamour magazines, etc.
DeleteI would say she is in talks with legal and PR reps now - hence the silence. The 'possible German misdiagnosis' was likely scripted... and to pave the way for the sob story that is yet to come.
Very true. She did get a lot.
DeleteI must say that every one and their dog say they're a journalist nowadays with the internet.
I should refer to these guys investigating Belle as "real journalists".
I'm a music journalist so I don't even class myself in the same league as these guys.
A lot of the producers from television shows, puff piece writers and the ordinary run of the mill newspaper man would never dream of asking someone to prove they indeed had cancer.
They're there to do their job (which in those cases is to literally sell a story that will sell advertising).
Most of the time they're freelancers as well so they do a five minute interview and that's what we see. They just want their $$$'s.
They usually don't have fact checkers on those stories either (I've worked as one... A horrible job).
To actually have the resources to investigate is quite the expensive operation.
Lots of background, lots of research and lots of time.
Not perfect but that's the way it runs unfortunately.
That's why I'm saying when these guys who do have the resources are putting this stuff out there we can pretty safely bet that they're right on the money.
As far as the PR and legal goes I would say that she will be speaking to them sooner rather than later. Apple and her publishers (if they decide not to cast her aside) will make sure of that.
I think the "German misdiagnosis" thing was just another lie that she hoped would put an end to it all.
More of a "I'm really a victim" defence that wasn't properly thought through.
For all her lies I don't think that she is a very good liar.
Everyone in her past say that they no longer have anything to do with her because of her constant lies...
Even if the legal system does catch up with her I think that there are a lot of people out there that will continue to support her and believe whatever story she fabricates. Which is a shame.
You'd think with all the love and light they throw around they'd be able to see the truth...
Quite scary isn't it?
Frankly, if a mysterious German doctor had diagnosed a terminal cancer I didn't have, I'd be prosecuting that German doctor. I think you're right, she's not a good liar. She's just a bold one. She herself is probably surprised she got away with it this long. And now she's hoping to do what she's always done to get out of trouble and rely on sympathy.
DeleteTo the "journalist (not investigative) ", possibly the best piece I have read here. You are so on the money. Yes of course she knew before this week. My friend was at a 'function' with her last Friday and she was really upset, crying etc which my friend thought was due to something going on that day but looking back she said she realizes Belle was already panicking and crying because of the magnitude of what was to come. And was never off her phone.
DeleteThanks!
DeleteCan I just point out that by publicising the fact that she will be meeting with her lawyers tomorrow is probably the worst thing that Belle could do at the moment.
This is a huge leak.
I can guarantee that this hasn't come from the lawyers but someone in her own camp that is very close.
No lawyer in their right mind would include this info in correspondence with a journalist. They don't want their client, whom they would know is a bad liar, anywhere near a camera crew or journalist that can get a look in and have her on record.
If the people closest to her are out there passing on info then you can guruantee there's something rotten in the state of Denmark.
That or she has horrible lawyers.
agree
DeleteIf anyone claimed that I didn't have cancer, I would of course quickly provide proof that I did. It would take me about 2 minutes to make copies of one of my many medical reports or scans (which Belle claims to have had).
DeleteBut if for some reason I wasn't able or willing to respond, I have many real life people who could come forward and say that they drove me to chemo, held my hair back while I barfed my guts out, came to visit me in the hospital after surgery, held me while I cried after getting the news that I had a recurrence, etc etc etc.
The bigger question here is WHY has not a single person who knew her IRL come forward with a story like the above, a story that would corroborate her claims?
The fact that not single person has done so is very, very damning.
This. Unless you are very antisocial, ashamed or live in a culture where you are supposed to hide your disease (and clearly Belle in Australia with her very public Instagrammed approach to cancer is not the case), there should be people who visited you in the hospital after surgeries, listened to you rant about all the shitty stuff, saw you sleep for hours and hours in a day instead of going to fancy brunches, helped you with errands, saw your scars or bald head, depending on treatment.
DeleteIt is extremely easy to prove. Even if there was a case of just having diagnostics and she got scared of having cancer or confused benign tumors with cancer (which sometimes uneducated or very scared people do, but in her case I can't possibly believe that), she would still have paperwork from scans, blood tests, consultations. If she cannot present it, she is a fake, plain and simple.
I suspect it was Belle who told the journalist about hiring the defamation lawyer. The reporters are probably calling her phone non-stop and that would have been her comment. Now, if it came from her....it could be another lie??
DeleteHer friends who made the "Dr Phil" comments were anons.... And where did all this story come from? Who tipped the media off? I wonder how many downloads her app has had since this whole media frenzy was whipped up....
ReplyDeleteLook up the Staple Store in Melbourne... Good hunch that's one of the "anons"... I think the tip off came from the charities that were being ripped off. The rest was like a ball of sting being unravelled (or in this case a ball of lies).
DeleteI read that the charities were contacted and never knew anything about Belle, or the pledges to donate? Don't you think it's weird there's nobody from her life supporting/defending her publicly?
DeleteNot really. If you had been lied to like that would you be able to come out and defend the person that had been lying to you? I think a lot of them may also be or feel complicit in some way? Apparently one of the five charities had been chasing the money for a while. The other four knew nothing about it. I think it was that one charity contacted the media.
DeleteI have a feeling Lola Berry is the one they are referring to that met her at a gala and has a large social media following. They seemed to be close friends until about the time of the "intervention" last year.
DeleteMaybe... It will be interesting to see what a lot of these people have to say when Belle makes a public statement. They might not like her lies casting a shadow over their own business practices and beliefs. The one thing I find strange is that at a lot of these "events" Belle and the rest of her cohorts are drinking champagne... Is the bubbly a whole food?
Deleteif you felt sorry for her / loved her / believed her then yes you would defend her... wouldn't you? The partner is a bit mysterious...
DeleteIf you assisted / profited and knew there was no cancer then absolutely you are complicit
I agree i think Lola B and the chick form the Staple Store/Staple space were anons commenting on the story. She also had a friendship with Gretta Rose - the founder of that laxative tea - Skinny Me Tea. She's in the Sunrise video. Always thought it odd Belle was affiliated with a tea like that given her "cancer" but I guess it was all about money and connections.
DeleteNo sign of any whole pantry book on Staple Store/Berry or Gretta instagram so the friendships are obviously strained....
It was Gretta Rose - the founder of Skinny Me Tea that made the comment about the superfood company/not trusting Belle when she said she had many "aliases".
DeleteThey both started directing Instagram follows to an instagram account called "luxe super foods" but it was shut down when their friendship stopped.
Belle originally started to build a friendship with Getta due to Gretta's large social media following. In actually fact, Belle contacted numerous companies/individuals with large social media followings and asked for "shout outs" to gain more followers. This was of course done by playing up her cancer struggles/miscarriage.
Lola is friends with Harry Gibson on facey still.. I have been waiting for her to comment. I was made aware of Belle through attending one of Lola's presentations early last year. I started following her on Instagram after that.. :(
DeleteHas anyone checked up on that Joshuas Journey, the charity she gave some money to. I find this childs story suss too. They arent a registered charity either but there has been tens of thousands raised which seems to have been spent on house renovations. I found it curious they claim to be using the same german cancer therapies.
ReplyDeleteI went down that rabbit hole last night. You won't believe how many kids there are called Josh with rare diseases that need money. And then there's poor little Jed... It will do your head in!
DeleteValid question, especially given "Joshua has a similar malignant, inoperable brain tumour to the one I have"
DeleteI replied to this question in another thread. Yes it is Joshua Schwarz both him and the mother are in the dedications of her book. If you go to Belles 'harry' FB page you will see a link to her latest calendar meet she is attending.
DeleteIs Belle the only person on the planet who wishes she had cancer right now?
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness that made me laugh.
DeleteYes she is
Strangely enough, she's not the only one.
DeleteEnter Gina, from the feminist breeder blog:
http://getoffmyinternets.net/the-feminist-breeder-thinks-cancer-grad-school/
no Joshuas story is not using this therapy at the moment. IF you have Belles book then you only have to research her dedications to see the bigger picture. If you dont have it go check it at the library and research the people she dedicates it to. All the answers are there.
ReplyDeleteif you have the book why don't you show us what you are talking about?
Delete"The bigger picture?" "The answers?" What are you actually talking about?
DeleteI think what they are saying is, the trail she left in her dedications in her book will shed some light into her. The 'Josh Story' - both him and his mother are two of the dedicates. The stylist of the food; the foodie /chef friend who does cooking; her whole 'team' of hunters and gatherers. I wondered too but I started researching the people she thanked and there is a real telling story of Belle right on her pages. Would pretty much bet on them having got some type of monetary bonus to help her create the book.
DeletePlease share...!
DeleteIf she hired a food stylist and a chef what did she actually do? Collect a few recipes from instagram ?
Its about 2 pages of dedications - some are already mentioned on here by others. Yes she is not a chef / cook herself so there is no way she could have come up with those recipes. Of course she has plagiarised - as the journo on here said - this book will be part of the investigation too. Already some of her colleagues have said on sites that they were told to gather recipes for a section that was incomplete and within a few hours those recipes were submitted - not even tested.
Deletehttps://www.tumblr.com/search/bellegibson
ReplyDeleteBelle looks gorgeous in the photo on tumblr....
DeleteThere's lots of photos of Belle on tumblr. I think "looking gorgeous" was her main role.
DeleteHey everyone: I think the conversation here is great, but I was thinking maybe it would be good if we did not name who we think are the media sources. I only ask this because I know it is taking a lot courage for them to go to the media (even anonymously) with their story. I guess what I am saying is that they are the best source of the truth that the media has right now, and so I do not want to scare them off.
ReplyDeleteI think that is a great idea. and i also think that addressing people who post in an aggressive tone is not wise
ReplyDeletehttp://www.breakfastcriminals.com/belle-gibsons-potentially-fake-cancer-problem-instagram-delusion/
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2990598/She-tried-convince-not-vaccinate-kids-Belle-Gibson-s-betrayed-former-friend-says-Pantry-founder-come-clean-truth-cancer-survival-story.html
ReplyDeleteIts that poor little boy I feel sorry for..
ReplyDeleteFrom
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/the-whole-pantry-founder-inspires-in-the-face-of-terminal-cancer/story-fniym874-1227133426731
"Oliver, of course, knows that Mum is sick."
“He sees me on days that I can’t get out of bed,” says Gibson. “It’s just small conversations we have that are enough. It’s never, ‘Mummy’s not going to be here for much longer’.”
Child abuse.
DeleteI hope for his sake that she is lying about what he 'knows' too. Surely she couldn't be so evil as to have her son constantly afraid of losing his mummy anytime?
DeleteShe is actually saying there that she DOESN'T tell him "mummy's not going to be here for much longer." And apparently she leaves Oli with his father when she travels. And she travels a lot. I actually think Oli's dad probably brings him up, and hopefully Belle's issues won't affect him too much. I doubt that she keeps up the pretense when she's home alone with him, although maybe now that he's getting old enough to articulate himself she's realised that's going to be problematic.
DeleteShe had her "forty minute seizure" at her son's birthday party. I assume that means her son was present or aware of what was going on. I somehow doubt that she is protecting him from all this.
DeleteOff track, but oh no, another one. Maybe he's done B-school too?
ReplyDeleteTyler Tolman, 'Health Vibe Tour'.
"...what you need to do to rid yourself of any disease and educate you on what surgery, drugs, radiation and chemotherapy do to your body. This is all backed by the largest cancer studies on the planet including the “American Cancer Society” and “Institute of Cancer Research"
"See what we have been doing the last 3 years to help facilitate healing of cancer, lyme disease, diabetes, heart disease (high blood pressure and cholesterol), motor neurones, arthritis, thyroid conditions and more!..."
"You will learn about what options are available to you if you are diagnosed with a disease and what alternative approaches and medicines are available to you as apposed to drugs, surgery, vaccinations, radiation and chemotherapy which is NOT THE ANSWER."
Maybe this guy diagnosed Belle? And healed her too!
No, Dr Phil diagnosed her
DeleteHe can't even spell 'opposed' .... ick, these people are scam artists playing with vulnerable people's lives
Delete"fled to the US:".. more like hiding or under psychiatric evaluation
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind betting she did actually flee to the US. She's wealthy and clever enough to evade an involuntary psych evaluation. Plus, the police did a "welfare check" on her, which is what you do when you suspect someone is suicidal. If she was in hospital in Australia, that wouldn't have been necessary.
Deleteno she was in Aust all this week
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI take it back.
ReplyDelete"Ms Gibson, who is understood to be back in Australia, has engaged the services of a Melbourne law firm amid accusations she embellished the story of her illness and revelations she withheld fundraising proceeds promised to charities. She is due to meet her new lawyer on Friday morning."
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/cancer-survivor-belle-gibson-retains-lawyer-20150312-142ed2.html
Wow. I wonder if she does have evidence of the cancer?
DeleteNo, this is damage control.
DeleteWhat can the lawyers even do? All the media needs to do is ask for CT scans.
DeleteThe lawyers can help her minimise the fallout of this catastrophe. And the first thing they would do is advise her not to give the media a CT scan.
DeleteThe only reason she should be talking to a media lawyer is to ask if they know any good criminal lawyers.
DeleteWell the cookbook is good.
DeleteMaybe it can be repackaged as fiction? Like James Frey
Imagine if she did have cancer after all.... wow.
DeleteIf she had cancer, she would have told The Australian that in her interview, instead of crying and saying she might have been misled by a German magnet magician.
DeleteShe just doesn't have cancer. You can't beat terminal, metastatic cancer without conventional therapies, and she clearly hasn't had those. Jess Ainscough slowly wasted away. Belle Gibson went from health to radiance. Hiring a "media and defamation" lawyer is not a sign that she actually has cancer, it's just the first thing you do when you have a major PR crisis on your hands.
At the moment, she's merely being investigated, so her first action is to work out how to calm the media down and stage-manage the information that is leaking out. She's suspended all her social media accounts and removed all images and information pertaining to her illness, including tweets etc. But to remove EVERYTHING incriminating (BEFORE she is sued or charged with anything) she needs a savvy media lawyer to issue savvy-media-lawyer write ups to people like our friend Violet here, probably.
She claims she had 2 months of chemo didn't she? Right before her epiphany in the hospital car park?
DeleteShe does - but she didn't complete the treatment. And it doesn't ring true anyway. For one thing, she never seemed to lose any hair or weight, and nobody seems to have accompanied her to an appointment or met with her doctors. For another thing, I doubt that someone with terminal "brain cancer" who was supposedly experiencing seizures and had just had a chemotherapy treatment would be allowed to leave the hospital alone. And if her partner/family/friends knew she was seriously ill and having treatment, why on earth would no one raise the alarm when she failed to return home all night? For that matter, why did nobody notice a woman lying unconscious in the park in a pool of her own vomit? (Excuse the graphic mental image).
DeleteThis supposedly happened five years ago, right? Before she was prolific on social media...? Where are you finding all this info? Please tell us more....
DeleteStart by reading some of the major articles covering Belle Gibson of the last few days, including the Age article and the Australian article, where she actually gave a tearful interview explaining that she may have been "misdiagnosed" by a German magnet specialist whom she declined to name.
DeleteThe "Belle Gibson Uncovered" Facebook page also has links to new articles as they come. You can check the information for yourself and see how it squares with the facts from her birth certificate (mentioned in the Australian article), the company details which are accessible online, the statement from The Whole Pantry regarding the charity debacle, and the information in Belle's book.
The facts about her passing out in the park after chemo comes from Belle herself - she tells her story a lot. I first read about it in Elle magazine, December 2014, in her own words.
Additionally, if you have time, scroll through the comments in this and Violet's other articles about the Belle Gibson saga, as you'll find readers contribute links to statements from Belle's social media and interviews over the years, and from the Skateboarding forum she frequented before she became famous, where she claimed to have died on the operating table during heart surgery PRIOR to being diagnosed with brain cancer. I assume the two are supposed to be unrelated, as she has never mentioned the heart problems since founding the Whole Pantry, and has not confirmed whether she ever went through with the valve replacement she said she urgently needed.
Ultimately, the best place to find new information as it comes to light is probably here. Violet has done a pretty great job.
See a doctor if you suspect you have a serious medical condition, vaccinate your children, eat cake for breakfast once in a while, and have a great day.
I keep trying to reply, but my comment appears, then disappears instantly.
DeleteLong story short, she tells the story about fainting in the park in her own words, often. I first read it in Elle magazine, December 2014. She was a regular poster on a skateboarding forum prior to supposedly being diagnosed with cancer, where she claimed to have a heart condition. She said she died on the operating table, and asserted that she needed a valve replacement, but couldn't afford it. Presumably her surgeon neglected to tell her that such surgical interventions are free in the public system. She stopped referring to the heart condition around the same time she claimed to have been diagnosed with "brain cancer." Consult the article in the Australian for further information from cancer specialists who query the legitimacy of that diagnosis, and a tearful confession from Belle herself that her cancer was actually diagnosed by a German magnet healer and may have been a misdiagnosis. The magnet healer would not have been licensed to perform chemotherapy, and she claims to have had the treatment at an Australian hospital. No Australian hospital would administer chemotherapy without a confirmed diagnosis of a brain tumour, from someone other than what amounts to a magician.
Be aware, too, that Belle has been lying about her age. There was not a long period of time between the Skateboard forum and the "Healing Belle" phenomenon. As Violet noted earlier, you can't prove a negative, however if you have any evidence that Belle does have cancer, I imagine Belle herself would be most grateful for it right about now. If you like, I can give you details of her publisher, and directions to your local Apple store.
I have read everything and by the way, the article today quotes a friend who says she did shave her head, so again... where are you getting your info from? You stated "she never seemed to lose any hair or weight, and nobody seems to have accompanied her to an appointment or met with her doctors. " Where were those details in all of the suggested reading you just mentioned? Her profile is removed from skateboard forum and so you can only assume based on what remains there. How would anyone really know what transpired five years ago? Unless.... you know her personally.... do you?
DeleteI think the question should be "If Belle Gibson has cancer... How come non-one in her life has ever accompanied her to an MRI, a doctors, a hospital?"
DeleteBecause if they had they would have already rang a newspaper and said "Look... I was there! You can put me on record that she DOES have cancer!"
That or she would have simply sent evidence to the journalists and there would be no questions needing to be asked.
The fact none of that has happened can and should lead people to speculate.
To be honest, I don't think I would give my medical records to the journalist swriting an article that was about to bring my business down....
DeleteIf there was journalist about to put it out into the world that I never had cancer even though my entire business was built around the fact that I DID have cancer... I'd be getting those records over there pretty damn quickly. Especially if I had a deal with one of the worlds biggest companies about to be announced that would make me potentially millions of dollars!
DeleteI also wouldn't be saying absolutely nothing to the public in almost a week except for "It's hard to admit that maybe you were wrong" and then blaming a "misdiagnosis"
But that's just me... Unlike Belle with her designer clothes, overpriced quinoa, expensive juices, long overseas holidays and million dollar plus beach side home in Elwood I like money.
And I would be doing what I had to do to in fact get it : )
Who is the mysterious partner ? Why did she say her cancer had spread... wouldn't that fly in the face of her whole message?
DeleteDid she really wear designer clothes? Or is that just what all the angry people are saying?
I'm not sure about the partner. He seems to have keep his face out of the public eye.
DeleteHe is involved in the Whole Pantry from what I can gather.
Some people have speculated that the spreading of the cancer was either to gain more sympathy which could lead to more app and book sales... I really don't know why she would say it myself but that seems logical to my way of thinking.
Yes, to the question about the clothing, according to the friends interviewed by Fairfax.
This newly published article is a good background.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/supporters-turn-on-belle-gibson-as-cancer-claims-unravel-20150313-1439ny.html
Wow - yep you are correct. She certainly was living the high life.
DeleteAt least she has that fundraising money to pay that Collins Street legal firm !
ReplyDeleteHa ha - indeed.
DeleteSadly I think that the lawyers will be the only winners in this sordid story. After the initial media storm has settled there will be some other scandal to takes it place. I have a feeling we will probably never really know the real story ...
ReplyDeleteI think given that one of the largest multinational corporations in the world is involved (a corporation whose founder died of cancer after eschewing conventional medicine for quackery), it will be impossible to keep it quiet.
DeleteAnd frankly, anyone who gets a refund for the app or the book, anyone who vaccinates their child, or anyone who now seeks conventional therapy for cancer because of this debacle, "wins." That's why it's worth journalists, the authorities, scammed charities and a disgruntled public SHOULD seek justice in this case.
And I think we can and probably already do know the "real story." She lied about having cancer to make money.
*That's why it's worth journalists, the authorities, scammed charities and a disgruntled public SEEKING justice in this case.
DeleteSorry.
Well said Ella.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anonymous.
DeleteCan anyone who has the app confirm whether it actually talks about Belle and the cancer? Or was that bit just in the book?
ReplyDeleteNo, it doesn't. It talks about cancer in general, I feel for all the individuals and businesses that are referenced in the app (and book).
DeleteDoes it talk about cancer in a way that suggests it can cure it? Just wondering how much apple is actually involved.
DeleteIf it's just a foodie app, that doesn't promote Belle's story or curing cancere then I wonder if maybe that's why it's still on the app store?
So there is a section called "recommended" where it lists (and links out to) books, articles, websites and docos + films in a number of categories. Incl: wellness + healing, family, for kids.
DeleteTo name a few "the gerson miracle" "how to raise a healthy child in spite of your doctor" "the gerson therapy" "you can conquer cancer" "anticancer - a new way of life"
I've never actually clicked on these, so there could be some credible research based sources amongst them, but the Gerson Therapy is referenced quite a lot.
So in answer to your question, yes there is a lot of info about curing cancer :)
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/wellness-guru-belle-gibson-opposed-vaccination-backed-medical-cannabis/story-fnihsrf2-1227260568033
ReplyDeleteBLOGGER Belle Gibson encouraged people to not vaccinate their children and backed medical cannabis, it has been revealed, as details about her childhood emerge.
The 23-year-old founder of wellness app The Whole Pantry deleted all references to her health on social media after it emerged she might never have had a range of illnesses she claimed to have beaten.
SICK JOKE? Doubts cast on wellness claims
SAD LOSS: Wellness warrior dies of cancer
School friends from Wynnum State High School contacted by The Courier-Mail have told how Ms Gibson invented stories to get sympathy and then disappeared after Year 10.
Other friends said she was embarrassed to allow them to visit her childhood home, believed to be at Wynnum.
One school friend who wished to remain anonymous said Ms Gibson was always warning her friends of the dangers of vaccinating children.
“She was always posting things saying that vaccinations were bad,” the friend said.
“She would just repost information she found and would really push it hard.”
The pair attended Wynnum State High School where they shared a drama class.
“She had a brother that was autistic and morbidly obese and was picked on a lot,” the friend said.
The two school friends later befriended each other on Facebook and kept in touch.
“Out of nowhere, she said she had suffered a tumour in her brain, so she shaved her hair off,” the friend said.
“I’d message her support but she wouldn’t respond for a few months. When she did respond, she was always quick to change the subject, preferring to talk about online shopping.”
Chris Green said Ms Gibson regularly reinvented herself.
“At one stage she was an emo, then a skater girl then she was a surfer chick; she was always something different,” Mr Green said.
“She was a drama queen. There was always something going on with her.”
Mr Green said Ms Gibson never spoke of a mother with multiple sclerosis or an autistic brother, as she later claimed to have cared for.
Fellow classmate Meg Weier described Ms Gibson as a “strange character”. She said the last time she had seen her was in Year 10 in 2006.
“She would try and spin unrealistic stories of her home life, but it had already gotten to that point where no one really listened to her any more,” Ms Weier said.
Ms Gibson said in November that she was 20 when her health issues started, blaming a reaction to the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil.
The mother-of-one is now using the alias “Harry Gibson” on Facebook after deleting her former Belle Gibson profile.
See my reply on your other comment - what on earth has Ella Woodward got to do with the Belle Gibson story? Saying one has improved an auto immune condition through diet is nothing like pretending you have cancer. I improved my auto immune condition (Hashimoto's) with changes to my diet too, are you going to lump me in with Belle Gibson?
ReplyDeleteThe Whole Pantry had a top feature on the Food and Drink Category of the Australian App Store and that has now been replaced with other Apps. So that is a good sign that maybe Apple is taking action.
ReplyDeleteI think the link is that Ella Woodward is not a trained health professional and yet is making money off the change to her diet with the implied message that if others make similar changes they too will see improved health . In reality, diet may have been only part of the reason for her auto immune recovery. Such diseases tend to go into remission periodically and diet may or may not have played the major role she believes. You may well have made positive dietary changes and seen great results but the difference is you are not making money on the basis of those changes nor, I assume, have built a business of it. Unfortunately this whole Bell Gibson issue places many people under suspicion even though many of them have good intentions and truly believe what they are doing.
ReplyDelete"Someone needs to get an apple rep in there pronto. This shit is
ReplyDeletelike a marketing dream for the iphone"
"Haha! I'm a walking (laying in bed) apple campaign right now"
Where are those last quotes from?
ReplyDeleteShe probably got all of her recipe ideas from pinterest
ReplyDeleteBelles pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/onlybelle/
I remember her putting on instagram that she had a food stylist and cook. So i'm pretty sure she just paid people to make recipes for her.
DeleteAgreed, or found them, tweaked them and voila - a book and an app is born. Ashy Bines is another one in a lot of trouble for plagirising healthy recipes. In reality, creating receipts and testing them takes month and months and months
Deletehttp://www.skateboard.com.au/bandits/read.cfm?forum=10&thread=92760&p=1
ReplyDeleteApparently Belle called up one of the forum mods last week and requested all the threads about her to be immediately removed
Charles Teo was the oncologist she claimed wouldnt operate on her. Perhaps the journalist can follow up with him to ensure whether this is accurate.
ReplyDeleteWas this supposedly Belle's oncologist? Do you have a link?
DeleteCharles Teo is a neurosurgeon
DeleteHe takes on cases that others won't and is known to be a bit radical.
Deletehttp://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Teo
He is the one surgeon who would operate on her IF she had cancer...
DeleteWhere is this linked that she said this?
DeleteHi Violet, any updates for us?
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure that a major Australian newspaper will have a much more in-depth story about Belle this weekend, which should go into her timeline in a little more detail than what we currently have. The only other thing I foresee on the horizon is me getting a gently-worded letter from Belle's lawyer. That's it!
DeleteHey Violet, my comments aren't appearing. Any clue why? They seem to "publish" successfully, but then if I refresh the page, or just revisit later, they're gone.
DeleteHey, they should be there now. Sorry they went into the spam folder (no idea why). I let one of each go through. I will try and keep a better eye on that folder from now on.
DeleteNo problem. Comments seem to be appearing fine now. I did try to repost a comment a few times that failed the first time, so maybe that's why the system flagged it as spam.
DeleteAssuming of course there really is a lawyer involved. For all we now, right now she could be sitting in a vegan cafe in Los Angeles negotiating a tell all.....
ReplyDeletePenguin and Apple, and probably The Whole Pantry, will probably all be launching legal action. She's withdrawn as much information about her health from the internet as possible, but there's still a lot of information circling which could damage her legally. I'm pretty sure she's consulting a lawyer, and not negotiating a tell-all. She's in pretty big trouble here - that kind that, for once, can't be cured with leafy greens and social media.
DeleteShe would be an idiot not to be consulting a lawyer at this point. Her facebook excuse rant was clearly not anything a lawyer would let go through, and I am sure she saw how that worked. In fact, that is where people started questioning her cancer story, and it was from there that people started asking journalists to look into it.
DeleteI notice that Sarah Wilson addressed the issue on her blog today with the headline - "Diet doesn't cure disease and its irresponsible to say otherwise". Hopefully some more high profile internet figures will address the issue instead of this stunning silence.
ReplyDeleteThat would be awesome. We need more people coming out and clearly stating that none of this stuff cures cancer.
DeleteI am glad Sarah Wilson has come out and said what she did – but I kinda feel that the only did that so she wouldn't be dragged into the fire. I admit that I almost choked on my breakfast (cake) when I read what she was saying. Isn't she one of the originals of the whole "wellness" craze? It kinda smacks of hypocrisy.
DeleteHi Violet, were you involved with Belle or did you know her? Or did you just become interested in the story based on the past few days?
ReplyDeleteI do not know the woman at all; I am not even Australian (probably obvious by my spelling). I became interested in her about a year ago because I was following the Jessica Ainscough and Polly Noble stories and she was right in there with them. After Jessica Ainscough died, I remember feeling angry that no one really demands the truth in these cancer stories. There is a truth in there somewhere, and it is NOT that they used quackery to cure themselves.
DeleteI noticed that no one was REALLY asking what was going on with Belle. I knew something in her story had to be b.s., I just was not entirely sure what it was. So that is why I wrote the blog post. I thought if people could post anonymously, that maybe someone would come here and give some insight (and boy did they!). I think that people were afraid to openly question Belle using their facebook pages because their name is on it.
Obviously, there was a pretty big elephant in the room when it came to Belle.
I think it's great you did this. I don't know much about Jess, except that she rejected traditional treatment and eventually passed away. I saw a lot of tribute posts after she passed describing her as a hero and inspiration which is sad. It's especially sad if she could have been saved.
DeleteI have a post here about her. Her case is just so unbelievably tragic.
DeleteViolet... Have you received any correspondence from Belles lawyers yet?
ReplyDeleteNo.
DeleteThere silence is pretty astounding as well. It's almost close of business here in Melbourne and the evening news cycle is about to begin. I don't think you will hear from them at all.
DeleteI don't think there's much they could do. If she indeed had any cancer it would have been made public almost instantaneously by them.
The writing is definitely on the wall.
*Their
DeleteOne of the forums that remains on the skateboard site has a post from a forum member to Belle, telling her about fundraising for cancer sufferers.... I'll see if i can find it again
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to me that Belle told "Cole" last week over at the skateboarding forum that she was sick again and not even a week later she tells a national newspaper that she may have been misdiagnosed. There are so many fails in this whole thing it really makes me question the intelligence of this woman. All she had to do was make the donations and she could've kept this scam going for years. No one is comfortable asking a supposed cancer sufferer for proof of their illness and even now there are people who are still naively clinging onto hope that she didn't lie because they don't want to admit people can be that evil. Now that it's 5:30pm here in Melbourne I suspect that either Belle didn't meet with a lawyer at all or if she did, they told her she was stuffed.
ReplyDeletewhy do you say that about the lawyer Jools?
ReplyDeleteElla doesn't market her food at curing diseases though. She clearly states that she simply wants to share her recipes and thinks everybody should live a healthy life. I followed her on instagram and had the app for a long time before I even realised she used to have that disease. Also the fact that doctors are interested in it says a lot. She isn't claiming to cure everything, she's just saying it worked for her and she improved her diet/lifestyle for the better.
ReplyDelete