Who Is Belle Gibson And Why Is She Famous?
Belle Gibson, born Annabelle Natalie Gibson, is an Australian blogger who is known for fake healing her fake cancer with clean eating and alternative medicine. She was able to fool millions of people, including two huge companies: Apple and Lantern Books, a Penguin publishing house imprint in Australia. She chronicled her experiences and fake illnesses on her blog, titled The Whole Pantry.
Before she was found to be a scammer and a fraud, Belle was well-known to be a social media influencer and wellness guru who claimed she healed her multiple cancers through diets, exercises, and alternative medicines and therapies. In June 2009, she shared that she was diagnosed with malignant brain cancer and that she only had six weeks to four months to live.
She wrote on her blog that after two months of chemotherapy, she no longer wanted to receive conventional cancer treatments and wanted to go on “a quest to heal myself naturally… through nutrition, patience, determination and love” under the supervision of a doctor named “Mark Johns.”
Months later, she claimed that her diets and alternative medicines had completely healed her of her cancer. In August of 2013, she launched an app of the same name as her blog, which had recipes that she claimed were what she ate that helped heal her from her health problems. Reportedly, her app had 200,000 downloads within the first month.
She also made false promises and claimed to donate portions of her income, as well as her company’s profits, amounting to $300,000 to different charity organisations.
An investigation made by media writers revealed that Belle had faked and fabricated her cancer and other health conditions, including her age, and her family background.
Q: How Old Is Belle Gibson?
Belle Gibson is 27 years old, born October 8, 1991.
Q: Where Did Belle Gibson Grow Up?
According to interviews, Belle Gibson says she grew up in Brisbane and left her family at the age of 12 to live with a classmate. She shared that she later lived with a family friend.
Q: Where Did Belle Gibson Go To School?
Belle has said in some interviews that at age 10 she attended Wynnum State High School in Manly, Brisbane, then dropping out in Year 10. In later interviews, Belle claimed to have been homeschooled.
Q: Who Are Belle Gibson’s Parents?
Belle Gibson’s parents are Andrew and Natalie Dal-Bello. Mrs Dal-Bello shared that Belle’s father was a mere “sperm donor.”
Q: Does Belle Gibson Have Any Siblings?
Yes, Belle Gibson has a brother named Nick. As part of her fake background story, Belle lied about her brother having autism, saying that she had to care for him while growing up. Her brother does not have autism and has shared on interviews that he is “disgusted with Belle and what she’s done.” “It’s about attention. She’s always been like this,” Nick shared.
Q: Is Belle Gibson Married?
Yes, Belle Gibson is married to seemingly loving husband Clive Rothwell, who seemed to be an accomplice to Belle’s lies.
Q: Does Belle Gibson Have Any Kids?
Belle Gibson has a son named Olivier Corbett. She gave birth to him in July 2010 at the age of 18.
Q: Where Does Belle Gibson Live Now?
Since the controversy, Belle Gibson has gone into hiding. She reportedly put her Melbourne house on the market.
Q: How Many Books Has Belle Gibson Written?
Belle Gibson wrote one book. She is best known for her cookbook, published in October 2014, The Whole Pantry: 100 Recipes for Eating Deliciously, Getting Back to Basics, and Living a Well-Nourished Life.
She signed a book deal with Lantern Books (a Penguin company) following the success of her app with the same name. Simon & Schuster were about to gain rights to publish her book in the US and Europe.
Penguin made a public statement admitting that they never asked for proof of Belle Gibson’s medical conditions. A representative said that the recipe book was published “in good faith.” The book has been pulled from Australian and international publication. Lantern Books has agreed to donate $30,000 to the Victorian Consumer Law Fund to make amends for not fact-checking Belle’s story.
Q: What health claims did Belle Gibson lie about?
In her book, Belle Gibson claimed that she had been “stable for two years now with no growth of the cancer.” She lied on multiple occasions until finally, media outlets noticed inconsistencies. She had claimed to different people that she had cancer in her liver and kidneys, to others she had told that it was in her blood, spleen, brain, and uterus.
Belle Gibson also lied that she had gone through multiple heart surgeries and suffered multiple strokes. She also claimed that in one of her surgeries, she momentarily died on the operating table. No scars were ever seen on Belle. She was unable to provide evidence for her medical claims nor did she share any names of doctors who would confirm or deny her conditions and treatments.
Q: Was Belle Gibson’s Health Advice Good?
In a 2015 interview with the Australia Women’s Weekly, journalist Clair Weaver explained that while Belle Gibson was “passionate about avoiding gluten, dairy and coffee,” as well as being vegan, Belle had no clue and did not really understand how cancer works.
Q: What Charities And Organizations Did Belle Gibson Claim To Donate To?
Belle Gibson claimed that she donated sales and revenue of her app to cancer research, schools in Africa, maternal health, as well as Australian organizations including One Girl and the Asylum Seeker Resource.
Q: How Did Apple Respond To Belle Gibson’s Controversy?
At the peak of Belle Gibson’s success on The Whole Pantry, Apple offered that the app be made a default pre-installed inclusion in the Apple Watch. The Whole Pantry was even included in promotional material. After the scam controversy broke, it was removed from advertising and subsequently from the Australian and US app store.
Q: Is Belle Gibson On Instagram?
Belle Gibson is no longer on Instagram. Her previous handle was @OnlyBelle.
Q: What Is Belle Gibson’s Net Worth?
It is unknown exactly what Belle Gibson’s net worth is to this date. It is estimated though that she amassed more than $1 Million from her app and cookbook before she was exposed as a fraud. She is being pursued by Consumer Affairs Victoria over the allegations and false claims. As of November 2018, Belle Gibson has yet to pay $410,000 worth in fines.
Q: Where Is Belle Gibson Now?
As of today, Belle Gibson’s place of residence is unknown. Her last appearance was on a full interview on 60 Minutes Australia, published on YouTube on December 2018. In her interview, she claimed that she was going to share the truth about her lies with her community but that the media made the truth public just 10 days before she had planned to do the same. She says she feels she is a victim, and not a fraud.
Q: How Does Belle’s Family Feel About This Scandal?
Belle Gibson lied about most of her home situation. In an interview, her mother confirmed and denied some of the things Belle shared. Mrs Dal-Bello did agree that Belle left home at age 12. She and her son said that Belle began a “friendship” with a man in his 60s and moved in with him.
Mrs Dal-Bello recalled Belle to have expensive tastes and living beyond her means and being “addicted to her computer.” “She used to fall asleep with it. Always on Facebook, always online, but that world is not real, it’s not healthy,” Mrs Dal Bello recalled.
The latest news is that; despite the anger and embarrassment, Belle’s family is feeling, they would like to reconnect with her. “I would tell her I love her, that she needs to take care of her child, but at the end of the day, she needs to take responsibility for her actions,” Mrs Dal-Bello said.
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