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Fake “wellness” blogger Belle Gibson will be forced to pay $410 000 after she made false claims about having and curing her cancer.
Melbourne’s Federal Court has found The Whole Pantry app creator guilty of misleading and deceptive conduct after it was revealed that she faked her cancer diagnosis.
The judge ruled that there was no reason for the mum-of-one to believe she had cancer.
The $410 000 fine, which Gibson can pay in instalments if applied for, is much less than the maximum penalty $1.1 million that she could have faced.
The fine has been broken up into five categories. The biggest amount of $150 000 is for failing to donate one week’s app sales to the family of a boy who had an inoperable brain tumour.
The smallest amount of $30 000 is for failing to donate money from a Mothers Day event in 2014.
Consumer Affairs Victoria sought to make Gibson publicly apologise to those she deceived by playing an ad in The Australia and the Herald Sun, however, she will not be made to do this.
Gibson was not present in court for the ruling.
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