Friends and doctors raise doubts over 'Healing Belle' cancer claims

Doubt has been cast over Melbourne social media entrepreneur Belle Gibson's "inspirational" story of cancer survival, as close friends and doctors question her illness and her publisher admits never checking the story.

It comes as Victoria's consumer watchdog launches an inquiry into fundraising activities run by Ms Gibson who withheld thousands of dollars in charity proceeds.

The story of Belle Gibson's cancer survival was never checked by her publisher. Credit: Garry Barker

Fairfax Media on Sunday revealed The Whole Pantry founder failed to hand over proceeds solicited in the name of five charities and had grossly overstated the company's total donations to different causes.

Now, five people in Ms Gibson's inner circle - each acknowledged in her new book - have revealed their concerns about the app developer's life story and cancer claims.

Fairfax Media understands some friends held an "intervention" at Ms Gibson's beachside apartment in Elwood last last year, questioning her about her illness. "She admitted her diagnosis was questionable," a former friend said.

"I asked her when she got her diagnosis, she said she didn't know. I asked her who gave her the diagnosis, she said Dr Phil. I asked if Dr Phil had a last name she didn't know, he disappeared. I asked her where she saw Dr Phil, she said he came and picked [her] up from [her] house."

It follows reports in The Australian that Ms Gibson said she may have been misdiagnosed. Ms Gibson has previously said she had a stroke at 20 and was later diagnosed with a brain tumour and given four months to live. After two months she said she abandoned chemotherapy and radiotherapy in pursuit of alternative treatments and has since been diagnosed with multiple other cancers.

She launched The Whole Pantry app after gaining a social media following for posting about using nutrition to fight cancer. It has been downloaded 300,000 times and has been heavily promoted by Apple as a centrepiece app on the new Apple Watch.

Ms Gibson released a cook book based on the app last year. She wrote that she had been "stable for two years now with no growth of the cancer". But Ms Gibson told media outlets last year the cancer had reached her liver and kidneys. Three months earlier she posted on The Whole Pantry's Facebook page that her cancer had spread to her blood, spleen, brain and uterus.

The post has since been hidden from the Facebook page's timeline.

Penguin Publishing has now revealed it never asked Ms Gibson for any evidence of her medical condition, saying it published the recipe book in "good faith". A spokeswoman said the latest revelations were concerning. "We'll discuss them with Belle, as ultimately only she can answer the questions."

Leading Melbourne neurosurgeon Andrew Kaye said Ms Gibson's story of surviving malignant brain cancer "doesn't add up", a concern echoed by other cancer specialists Fairfax Media spoke to. Professor Kaye, the head of surgery at the University of Melbourne and director of neurosurgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, said it was extremely unlikely for a malignant brain tumour to spread in the manner Ms Gibson described.

"There is the very occasional case out of many, many thousands that may have a spontaneous regression ... but I have never seen that," he said. "I wouldn't believe any of this unless I saw the pathology report with my own eyes and the pathology itself."

Ms Gibson has repeatedly refused to address inconsistencies in her life story and answer questions about her illness because they had no relevance to her charitable donations. Fairfax Media last week and on Tuesday asked Ms Gibson about her diagnosis, the exact prognosis she was given, the names of her doctors, and the medical facilities where she was treated.

Ms Gibson also refused to explain why she gave a different birthdate on ASIC documents, which say she is 23, not 26. She has stated that she was diagnosed with a "malignant, terminal form of brain cancer" at the age of 20 in 2009. But records filed by Ms Gibson with the corporate regulator say she was born in 1991, making her 17 at the time of her diagnosis.

Former friends called on her to name her doctors to verify her story, saying she has "made made herself famous off the back of curing herself from cancer" and that she "owes it to her community".

One former friend pulled out of a superfoods business with Ms Gibson last year because she questioned the app developer's character after Ms Gibson said she had many "aliases".

"My accountant wanted some basic paperwork off us; full name, date of birth and address, and Belle said that might be an issue. She said 'I have several names that I go under ... it's a long story'," she said.

Another person who previously worked for Ms Gibson said she did not believe the cancer survival story. "She would post on social media that she's been at doctor's appointment all day but really she was just going to the dentist ... she got her veneers done. She would make it sound like it was for cancer-related illness."

Another former friend said: "At first you think you're a terrible person for questioning her illness. She was always vague about the cancer, where she was treated, her [medical] appointments."

Little is also known about Ms Gibson's life before 2009. She said she left home at age 12 after caring for a mother with multiple sclerosis and an autistic brother and spent her high school years living with friends. She claims to have never known her father and to no longer speak to her mother because she "fell into complete denial and fear" after the cancer diagnosis.

Ms Gibson, who calls herself 'Healing Belle', has recently partnered with Apple to develop her recipe app for the Apple Watch. Apple had been promoting the app and last week said an "exciting" announcement about Ms Gibson would be made on Monday.

Apple has declined to say whether it stands by Ms Gibson in light of the latest revelations of her company's questionable fundraising activities and doubt over the veracity of her health claims.

Consumer Affairs Victoria confirmed it was examining Ms Gibson and her companies after it was revealed the entrepreneur solicited donations in the name of five charities, but failed to hand over the proceeds.

Ms Gibson also claimed to have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to various causes since her business was launched in 2013, but now concedes the majority of contributions were never made, blaming cash-flow problems and poor record-keeping.

Neither Ms Gibson nor her companies are registered fundraisers in Victoria. Penalties for unregistered fundraisers include fines of more than $28,000 for corporations while individuals face 12 months jail and fines of more than $14,000.

"Consumer Affairs Victoria is currently making enquiries with Ms Gibson and her associated companies as to the nature of any fundraising appeals that may have occurred, including details of beneficiaries and net proceeds given," a spokeswoman said.

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