For those she deceived, the unravelling of Belle Gibson's lies came as a huge shock - and even family members believe a harsh 'wake up call' is in order.
The disgraced wellness star fooled thousands after falsely claiming to have cured her terminal brain cancer through healthy eating and natural remedies, with her sick ruse even inspiring genuinely ill followers to ditch chemotherapy in favour of alternative treatments.
As a young, single mother who looked the picture of health despite having apparently overcome momentous hurdles, Belle's story was a compelling one. And when she set up her Instagram account, Healing Belle, in early 2013, many of those desperate for a cure flocked to follow her lead, in the hopes her wholefood recipes really were miraculous.
Now Belle's brother Nick Gibson has expressed horror at his sister's actions and believes she deserves to serve prison time in recompense for her damaging web of lies...
Nick believes his sister should face prison timeIn an interview with the Mail Online, forklift driver Nick, of Brisbane, Australia, clarified that Belle, who has long had issues with telling the truth, had lied about him being autistic, much to his distress. Although he still cares for his sister, he believes a more severe punishment is in order.
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Ahead of the second instalment of Instagram's Worst Con Artist, Nick, 35, told the publication: "The things she's done to those families, well, technically it's fraud. I think she should be locked up, spend some time in prison and have a bit of a think about it because I don't think she realises what she's done to them.
"I shouldn't be saying this because I'm her brother but what she did was nasty. Some prison time would give her a wake-up call. The things she's done... I don't want my kids to be around that."
When Belle first launched her Instagram page, she was still just 21 years old - although corporate filings later determined that she was three years younger than she claimed to be. Her purported plight quickly attracted sympathy and admiration in equal measure and for many, she was a source of inspiration. Belle's online popularity led to a lucrative paid-for app The Whole Pantry - voted Apple's Best Food and Drink App of 2013 - plus a £220,000 publication deal with Penguin Random House for a book of the same name.
Belle's Instagram proved wildly popular - but it was a complete fabrication
In 2017, liar Belle finally confessed she'd never had cancer (BBC/Minnow/Brooke Holm)As well as recipes and wellness advice, Belle also kept fans updated with the state of her supposedly poor health - claiming in July 2014 that she had been diagnosed with cancer in her blood, spleen, brain, uterus, and liver. Just like her brain tumour, however, these diagnoses were nothing more than pure fiction and, in April 2015, Belle finally confessed she'd been lying all along during an explosive interview with Australian Women's Weekly.
To the fury of those who had placed their trust in her, Belle told the publication: "None of it's true. I don't want forgiveness. I just think [speaking out] was the responsible thing to do. Above anything, I would like people to say, 'OK, she's human'." In 2017, the Federal Court fined Belle £240,000 ($410, 000) for profiting from her false claims - a sum she has yet to pay up.
Pained by Belle's lack of remorse, Nick believes she should at least make sure the hefty fine is paid. Nick said: "Basically, she got a slap on the wrist. If we got a fine and we didn't pay for it in a certain time, we'd probably get locked up. People are angry, I've seen death threats on Facebook directed at her."
Although Nick has tried to ask his sister about why exactly she chose to lie, she has repeatedly responded by simply changing the subject. Nick added: "I'm always going to have a bit of love there for my sister. I just hope she gets some help for herself."
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