Update: In an interview published today in Australian Women's Weekly, Belle Gibson admits that her cancer "diagnosis" wasn't real. Her app's been removed from the Apple store and Penguin is no longer publishing her book. Continue to our original story below to learn more about the recent controversy surrounding Gibson.
This article was originally published on March 13, 2015.
Australian wellness blogger Belle Gibson, author of The Whole Pantry, has a lot to be happy about. After being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer a few years ago, the 26-year-old now says her disease has been totally treated — without any help from conventional medicine. A recipe app based on Gibson's "Whole Pantry" lifestyle will reportedly be featured on the Apple Watch. But, there's one big problem. Gibson may not have ever actually had cancer, reports Yahoo Health. According to The Daily Mail and The Guardian, Gibson's publishers never verified her health claims. And, she's facing backlash from former supporters who say she never donated any of her company's profits to charity after promising to do so. Gibson's Facebook page posted a response to the donation complaints, citing contributions made in other ways, "cash-flow issues," and "unforeseen delays" as causes of the problems. Still, there's probably enough doubt here to make many people second-guess all those green-juice prescriptions.
This article was originally published on March 13, 2015.
Australian wellness blogger Belle Gibson, author of The Whole Pantry, has a lot to be happy about. After being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer a few years ago, the 26-year-old now says her disease has been totally treated — without any help from conventional medicine. A recipe app based on Gibson's "Whole Pantry" lifestyle will reportedly be featured on the Apple Watch. But, there's one big problem. Gibson may not have ever actually had cancer, reports Yahoo Health. According to The Daily Mail and The Guardian, Gibson's publishers never verified her health claims. And, she's facing backlash from former supporters who say she never donated any of her company's profits to charity after promising to do so. Gibson's Facebook page posted a response to the donation complaints, citing contributions made in other ways, "cash-flow issues," and "unforeseen delays" as causes of the problems. Still, there's probably enough doubt here to make many people second-guess all those green-juice prescriptions.