Consumer Affairs Victoria case against Belle Gibson returns to court

CANCER con artist Belle Gibson’s case was back in Federal Court today, where her claims that she cured brain cancer “naturally” are being used as evidence.

Belle Gibson is yet to submit any defence.

DISGRACED health blogger Belle Gibson’s social media posts stating she had cured her terminal brain cancer “naturally” are being used as evidence against her in court.

Gibson’s case returned to the Federal Court in Victoria today, with Consumer Affairs Victoria seeking to fine her for allegedly saying she recovered from terminal brain cancer through healthy eating and natural therapies.

But Gibson failed to show up and face her critics for the fourth time in a row. She has also failed to lodge any defence with the court.

Consumer Affairs Victoria started an investigation last year amid claims Gibson failed to donate $300,000 to charity she had promised from the sale of her The Whole Pantry app and cookbook.

Consumer Affairs say Gibson engaged in “unconscionable conduct” by claiming she was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2009 and given four months to live but then healed herself naturally after rejecting conventional treatments.

Disgraced wellness blogger Belle Gibson looks carefree. Picture: Jake Nowakowski/Herald Sun

The watchdog also accuses her of engaging in misleading or deceptive commerce by making the claims to promote her Whole Pantry app and book.

The app was available for purchase between August 2013 and May 2016. Consumer Affairs’ barrister, Catherine Button, noted Gibson publicly stated she had a stroke at work and was subsequently diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour in June 2009.

Gibson told her Facebook and Instagram followers she started receiving oral chemotherapy for her cancer before abandoning conventional medicine.

“I pulled myself out. My doctors freaked out but they couldn’t stop me,” Ms Button quoted Gibson as saying.

Gibson told her large social media following she started “getting back to basics” and opted for healthy foods and natural therapies which healed her cancer, the court heard.

“Her publisher went out and published her book on the basis of her claims,” Ms Button said on Tuesday.

Penguin paid Gibson’s company almost $264,000 for her The Whole Pantry cookbook, according to court documents.

The book was released in October 2014 and withdrawn from sale five months later. Ms Button said Gibson claimed she fell pregnant two weeks after being told she couldn’t have children because of her cancer.

The barrister also read out excerpts from a transcript of a 60 Minutes interview with Gibson last year during which she admitted she’d never had cancer.

Belle Gibson appeared on 60 Minutes last year to apologise for faking having brain cancer. Picture: Facebook/60 Minutes

Earlier this year, a statement by Consumer Affairs Victoria said “the alleged contraventions relate to false claims by Gibson and her company concerning her diagnosis with terminal brain cancer, her rejection of conventional cancer treatments in favour of natural remedies, and the donation of proceeds to various charities.”

Gibson failed to attend three court dates earlier this year, most recently on July 10 where her lawyers failed to appear at a case management hearing in the Federal Court.

Justice Debbie Mortimer last month stretched the deadline for Gibson to be involved in civil proceedings after she had already skipped numerous court hearings.

Cancer sufferer Ashley told the Herald Sun she hopes the judge will “throw the book at her”.

“This thief needs to be brought to justice — I really hope she doesn’t get off scot-free,” she said.

“She needs to pay for her crimes. Pretending to have cancer and ripping all of those charities off and duping all of those people is disgusting.”

Ms Gibson made more than $1 million in profits from her cookbook and wellness app, The Whole Pantry.

The maximum penalty she can face is $1.1 million.

- with AAP