Belle Gibson’s mum slams troubled childhood claims as ‘a lot of rubbish’

AFTER coming clean about her cancer lies, Belle Gibson must’ve thought it couldn’t get worse. Now, her furious mum has dished out some brutal home truths.

Belle’s family had no idea about her business until they found out she had deceived thousands.

“I’VE never seen her cry in her life ... I can’t tell you how embarrassed we are about what she has done”

That’s the brutal assessment of disgraced wellness blogger Belle Gibson’s mother, who has spoken for the first time about the storm engulfing the 23-year-old after she admitted lying about having terminal brain cancer to launch a cookbook and health app business.

Natalie Dal-Bello told the Australian Women’s Weekly she was “embarrassed” by Gibson, who she said had dragged her family through the mud in her attempt to blame her cancer lies on a troubled childhood.

Gibson said as a five-year-old girl she had been forced to care for Mrs Dal-Bello — who has multiple sclerosis — and run the household, while also looking after her autistic brother.

“What a lot of rubbish,” Mrs Dal-Bello (formerly Gibson) told the magazine, saying the only truth to the story was her MS.

“Her brother is not autistic and she’s barely done a minute’s housework in her life,” she said.

“I’ve practically worked myself into an early grave to give that girl everything she wanted in life.”

Mrs Dal-Bello said she had not been in touch with her estranged daughter for four years, and had no idea of the success she had found as a wellness entrepreneur until it came publicly crashing down.

“I can’t tell you how embarrassed we are about what she has done,” she said.

“She just plucked bits and pieces of other people’s medical problems and assumed them as her own She had a heart problem growing up, but that was it.

“She doesn’t seem to be sorry. There doesn’t appear to be any remorse. I’ve never seen her cry in her life.”

Belle Gibson has kept her head down since her story unravelled. Pic: Rob Leeson

Mrs Dal-Bello said her daughter “always had ideas above her station”.

She described Belle having 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,” she said.

“But that world is not real, it’s not healthy.”

Gibson’s brother Nick, who does not have autism, has also spoken out telling AWW he is “really upset” by his sister’s stories.

“I’m disgusted with Belle and what she’s done,” he said.

“It’s about attention. She’s always been like this.”

Gibson, who admitted she didn’t have cancer in an interview with the same magazine last month, blamed a difficult upbringing for her lifelong struggle with the truth.

“I think my life has just got so many complexities around it and within it, that it’s just easier to assume [I’m lying]” Gibson told AWW.

“I am still jumping between what I think I know and what is reality. I have lived it and I’m not really there yet.

“If I don’t have an answer, then I will sort of theorise it myself and come up with one. I think that’s an easy thing to often revert to if you don’t know what the answer is.”

Belle’s family had no idea about her business until they found out she had deceived thousands.

Gibson also said she was unsure if her mother was alive or dead. Mrs Dal-Bello said her daughter needed to apologise and dedicate years of her life to repaying the debt she owed, including volunteering for cancer charities.

While she denied much of her daughter’s story, it is clear Gibson did have a somewhat complicated childhood. Both Gibson and her mother agreed on the story of her leaving home at age 12 when her mum and brother said she struck up a friendship and moved in with a man in his 60s.

On Gibson’s absent father, Mrs Dal-Bello described him only as “a sperm donor”.

Despite their anger, Gibson’s family say they would like to reconnect with her.

“I would tell her I love her, that she needs to take care of her son, but at the end of the day, she need to take responsibility for her actions.”

Brother Nick said he would like to see Belle again, but doesn’t think he would be able to ever forgive her.

“The things I’d like to ask to her face now are, what did I do to deserve this? Please explain, why did you do this to our family?” he said.

Gibson was eventually dumped by her publisher and Apple after turning her terminal cancer tall tale into a popular cookbook and wellness app, The Whole Pantry.

She even managed to fool the tech giant into signing her up for the launch of the Apple Watch, where The Whole Pantry was to feature.

But it all came crashing down after charities she claimed to have donated money to through the sale of the app confirmed they hadn’t received a cent from her.

Gibson went into hiding, her business collapsed and she reportedly had to put her Melbourne house on the market.