‘Slap on the wrist’: Belle Gibson whistleblower slams cancer conwoman over unpaid fines
Gibson accumulated wealth of $420,000 from her cookbook and app The Whole Pantry, based on the false claim that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer and had been cured through alternative therapies and nutrition.
It was later revealed she never had cancer and had also lied about her intention to donate a large chunk of her earnings to charity.
The scandal – laid bare in articles and a book written by journalists from this masthead – is now the subject of a new Netflix series, Apple Cider Vinegar.
The penalty included $150,000 for failing to donate money to the family of Joshua Schwarz, a boy with an inoperable brain tumour.
Gibson’s $410,000 fine grew to more than half a million dollars with costs and interest in 2020. A court-ordered sheriff raided her home in Northcote, in Melbourne’s inner-north, for a second time in 2021 in an attempt to recover the fine.
McAuliffe said Gibson, who claimed in court she was penniless and unable to pay the fine, has earned some income over the years.
“She could, on her own accord, start paying back that fine with whatever capacity she has,” she said.
McAuliffe said the saddest thing was that the Schwarz family had never received any money from Gibson.
“It’s really tragic that the family won’t be compensated for their suffering,” she said.
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“She should be [paying the fine] just because it’s the right thing to do, not for anyone’s forgiveness, not for anything that she could get out of it.
“She caused harm to a lot of people, and she still has an opportunity to make things right.”
McAuliffe said the inability of authorities to recoup the money was an example of how broken the justice system could be.
“In this case, it’s basically just a slap on the wrist – and what example does that set for society? And what example does that set for her?” she said.
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“She’s a chameleon. She keeps repeating patterns of misleading people and faking various illnesses, she’s been doing it most of her life.
“It could set an example that she can keep getting away with it.”
Health minister Mary-Anne Thomas said she did not know enough about the matter to comment.
Gibson could not be contacted for comment.
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