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Fake cancer victim Belle Gibson has failed to defend herself against legal action from Victoria’s consumer watchdog.
Gibson, 24, and her company, Inkerman Road Nominees Pty, were given until 4PM on July 8 to file a defense to Consumer Affairs Victoria’s case against her, but failed to do so.
The consumer watchdog is seeking legal action, after Gibson falsely claimed to have healed her terminal cancer naturally with clean eating and healthy living while promoting her Whole Pantry app and book. She and her company were paid over $500,000 by Apple and publisher Penguin.
Consumer Affairs Victoria wants Gibson to pay a fine and publish in newspapers an apology acknowledging her lies. They have also sought an injunction to stop her from continuing similar conduct.
It is the third time Gibson has failed to front a hearing. On June 10 she was given “one more chance.”
“These are serious allegations and I want to make sure Ms Gibson knows the consequences of not contributing in this case,” Federal Court justice Debra Mortimer told the court last month.
Gibson claimed she had been diagnosed with brain cancer in 2009 and said she was given four months to live, before taking and rejecting conventional treatments to heal herself naturally.
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