Fakes, Frauds and Liars: Belle Gibson
Once Upon A Crime
Esther Ludlow
4.6 • 5K Ratings
🗓️ 9 October 2017
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
She preached wellness. She promised hope. She built an empire on a lie.
Belle Gibson was an Australian wellness influencer who captivated millions with her story—claiming she had terminal brain cancer and had miraculously cured herself through natural remedies. She sold books, launched an app, and gained a devoted following, all while profiting from her supposed survival story. But when journalists began asking questions, her carefully crafted world came crumbling down.
How did she deceive so many for so long? What was the truth behind her fraudulent claims? And what happened when the world found out she was lying?
Join us as we uncover one of the biggest wellness scams in modern history.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This podcast details true crime cases. |
| 0:02.7 | It contains adult themes and may contain descriptions of violence. |
| 0:06.1 | This episode contains explicit language. |
| 0:08.9 | It is not intended for children. |
| 0:10.7 | Listener discretion is advised. |
| 0:15.5 | Thank you for joining me for today's episode of Once Upon a Crime. |
| 0:19.1 | It never ceases to amaze me to what lengths people will go to portray themselves as someone |
| 0:24.1 | other than who they really are. |
| 0:26.2 | The motivations are varied, to gain attention, to appear successful, for financial gain, |
| 0:32.6 | or to create a new identity in order to leave an old life behind, or but a few. |
| 0:39.1 | Sometimes the planning and detail that go into these deceptions is astounding. Other times, some get away with their |
| 0:44.3 | lies simply because no one asked many questions and just took them at face value. In this series, |
| 0:50.8 | fakes, frauds and liars, I'll share some fascinating cases of deception that crossed |
| 0:55.7 | over into criminal activity. In Chapter 1, we go to Australia, where I'll tell you the story about a woman |
| 1:02.2 | who had an incredible story of perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, only to discover |
| 1:07.6 | that it was all a lie. This is the case of Bell Gibson. |
| 1:16.8 | The internet and social media in particular |
| 1:19.3 | have changed the way we live in more ways than you can probably imagine. |
| 1:23.8 | Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are fun ways to keep in touch with family, friends, and acquaintances. |
| 1:30.1 | People tend to share everything from the mundane, such as what they had for lunch, to the more |
| 1:34.8 | personal and profound, such as death, divorce, and illnesses. But what we need to remember is that |
| 1:41.8 | we can't always trust the information we receive by social |
... |
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