Belle Gibson, a social media scammer, gained a large following before her deceit was exposed. Many of her supporters were cancer patients, some of whom opted out of conventional treatments in favor of Gibson’s tips.
She even launched a successful paid app called The Whole Pantry, which was recognized as Apple’s Best Food and Drink App in 2013. Gibson advocated for natural healing methods, but it was later revealed that she had fabricated her own cancer diagnosis.
Despite being exposed, Gibson continued to insist on having terminal brain cancer while admitting to fabricating other cancer diagnoses. Former close friend Chanelle McAuliffe described a moment when she realized Gibson was lying, observing her friend experiencing a sudden violent seizure followed by an immediate return to normal.
Gibson’s behavior and spending patterns further raised doubts about her credibility, as she failed to pay substantial fines and made extravagant purchases despite claiming financial difficulties. Gibson also made dubious claims about being “adopted” by Melbourne’s Oromo community, an assertion that was refuted by the president of the Australian Oromo Community Association in Victoria.
A new documentary titled Instagram’s Worst Con Artist will shed light on Gibson’s fraudulent activities nearly a decade after her downfall.
