Episode 6: Belle Gibson (Cancer Wellness Scammer)

Belle Gibson was followed and endorsed by holistic medicine practitioners, food as medicine believers, and cancer survivors alike. Belle had created the wildly popular The Whole Pantry blog describing how she had cured herself of multiple cancers. 

It was estimated Belle and her company were worth millions. So how did Belle become worth exactly $0 in 2015? And where is Belle today? Find out today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiguresPodcast

Episode Sources:

• Amazon The Whole Pantry Book https://www.amazon.com/The-Whole-Pantry/dp/0718180410
• BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-41423491
  Brisbane Times https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/what-we-haven-t-learned-from-belle-gibson-20200126-p53utm.html
• Donelly, Beau and Nick Toscano, The Woman Who Fooled the World: Belle Gibson's Cancer Con, and the Darkness at the Heart of the Wellness Industry, 2017. 
• Health Goop Jade Egg Suit https://www.health.com/condition/sexual-health/jade-egg-goop
• News AU https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/belle-gibson-has-been-adopted-by-ethiopian-community-in-melbourne/news-story/faef622ee9d2b5bee4e4a9518420c315
• The Guardian Articles
  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jun/20/cancer-con-artist-belle-gibson-cries-while-in-court-over-unpaid-410000-fine
  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/apr/17/cancer-con-artist-belle-gibson-to-face-court-over-failure-to-pay-410000-penalty
• Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Gibson 
• Music: The 6 is Silent by Skyjelly

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Transcript

00:00

Belle Gibson was followed and endorsed by holistic medicine practitioners, food as medicine believers, and cancer survivors alike. Belle had created the wildly popular Whole Pantry blog describing how she had cured herself of multiple cancers. She looked the picture of health as a new mom in her early 20s despite her terminal cancer diagnosis.

00:26

Belle's online story of health improvement through nontraditional, holistic, whole food measures was so popular, she soon had also published a book and created a mobile app of the same name.

00:37

In fact, Belle's mobile app would be chosen by Apple as Best App of 2013 in the Food and Drink category after being downloaded over 300,000 times.

00:47

It was estimated Belle and her company were worth millions. So how did Belle become a disgraced woman in hiding, worth exactly $0 in 2015? Find out today on the Controversial Figures Podcast.

01:03

Music Interlude

01:29

Welcome to Controversial Figures; a podcast about intriguing figures in the media. My name is Tammy Hawkins. If you enjoy this podcast, please leave a 5 star rating and comment on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts - and don't forget to subscribe to the show. 

01:47

Visit Controversial Figures on Patreon and donate anything that  you can. I will give you a shout out on a future show, and send along occasional swag to regular donors. If you donate at higher tier levels, you will obtain access to additional content on a regular basis. And with that, let's discuss our Controversial Figure for today.

02:21

Annabelle Gibson  - better known as "Belle"- was born on October 8, 1991 in Tasmania, Australia. She later grew up in the working-class suburb of Wynnum in Brisbane, Australia in a home with her mother Natalie and older brother Nick. Growing up would not be easy for Belle. The house in which she and her family lived was owned by the Department of Housing and Public Works - Queensland's social-housing program.

02:50

A quote from Belle's book about this time states, "I grew up in a dysfunctional home. I never knew my dad, and grew up with my mum, who had multiple sclerosis, and my brother who was autistic. Because mum was so ill, she needed a lot of help."

03:10

Belle has said in interviews, she left her family home at age 12 to live with a classmate, and later lived with a family friend. She went to a variety of schools, maintaining strong grades, and going through a brief emo and skater kid phase along the way. As you do.

03:29

When Belle's grade school friends were later interviewed, they recounted stories of a variety of described medical conditions and surgeries that Belle would claim to have. Many centered around a supposed heart condition, which Belle claimed had required multiple heart surgeries to address. The funny thing was, Belle had no scars on her chest.

03:53

Belle's school friends would later go on to account that Belle was a pathological liar that loved attention. One recalled Belle telling friends she was in the witness protection program and another that she was a test tube baby. Neither true.

04:06

Belle would drop out of school in her final year in 2008 at age 16. She then moved literally across the continent of Australia to Perth. It was during this time in which Belle began frequenting online forums. 

04:20

Now it was online that Belle would receive sympathy and attention from others when she shared a variety of medical illnesses, including stating she had a malignant brain tumor. The comments of concern would pour in. And Belle would thrive on the interactions.

04:40

In 2009, Belle would begin telling friends that she had a bad reaction to the Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine. She stated she had headaches, loss of memory, blurred vision, slurred speech, difficulty walking, and she had experienced a stroke.

05:00

After experiencing these symptoms, Belle said Dr. Mark Johns had diagnosed her with terminal brain cancer. And he gave her a quite grim prognosis - she had only 4 months to live. She said Dr. Johns gave her radiotherapy and an oral chemotherapy drug. She then moved from Perth to Melbourne to be closer to her doctor and to continue the treatments. 

05:29

However, Belle stated she decided to stop after 2 months of traditional treatment when she passed out in a city park near the hospital post treatment one day. She felt traditional medicine was making her more ill. If she had only weeks remaining in her life, she wanted that time to not be filled with nausea and suffering.

05:51

It was then that Belle began investigating the world of alternative medicine and the detoxification elements of lemons. She began to practice healing herself with nutrition and holistic medicines, craniosacral therapy, oxygen therapy, and colonics. 

06:20

A quote from Belle about this time is as follows, "I gave up on conventional treatment when it was making my cancer more aggressive and started treating myself naturally. I have countless times helped others do the same, along with leading them down natural therapy for everything from fertility, depression, bone damage and other types of cancer."

06:38

Only a few months later in 2009, Belle excitedly discovered she was pregnant with her first child.

06:48

Belle would give birth to a beautiful baby boy named Olivier - affectionately referred to as Oli - in 2010. Belle and Oli's father, Nathan, separated a short couple of years later.

07:03

In 2012, Instagram was launched, and soon Belle was hooked. It was via this new mobile app that Belle would begin describing how she was healing herself from terminal brain cancer. She stated her brain cancer diagnosis had been further confirmed via MRI in 2011, just after Oli's birth. 

07:26

Every post featured an Instagram worthy photo, often of beautiful blonde Belle wearing soft colors and feminine clothing with a tiny bit of edge from her tiny hoop nose ring.  She was the picture of health for someone with terminal cancer.

07:45

Belle would post photos of the different superfoods she was eating, and speak to the healing quality of the food in the photo. She would post recipes along with the photos for organic meals and healthy juices, all with perfect filters, colors, angles, and inspirational quotes. Sharing her Ayurvedic, gluten free, low salt, and no sugar lifestyle.

08:12

On this new app of Instagram, Belle was rapidly becoming what we would call an Instagram influencer before Instagram influencers were a thing. Belle would soon have over 200,000 followers on her Instagram page. What she was posting was working, and she was gaining traction fast.

08:35

Belle would soon partner with others to build The Whole Pantry mobile app. She was doubling down on her Instagram following. And by partner I mean take business advantage of some developers, convincing them to donate time to a cancer sufferer to help inspire others. You know. For free.

08:59

When the app launched in August 2013, it contained more than 50 gluten free, paleo, and vegan recipes. It helped provide a shopping list relate to recipes chosen, along with lots of inspirational posts from Belle. The app was translated into French, Spanish, Japanese, and simplified Chinese. It was made available in Australia, the UK, and the US. It cost $3.79 to download the app.

09:33

Belle threw an online launch party for her app. During the launch party, she told guests about the charities the event was supporting which included asylum-seekers, birthing kits for women in developing countries, school-building in Sierra Leone, and raising funds for the family of a 5-year-old Melbourne boy with terminal brain cancer. 

09:56

The event would be held on December 6, 2013. This coincided with an in person party she would hold at The White House, a St Kilda mansion on Princes Street. It of course featured food from recipes featured in the app and would host dozens of affluent Australians encouraged to donate to the list of charitable causes.

10:22

And the Whole Pantry app literally became an overnight success. It went to the #1 rating in the Apple store only weeks later in Australia. At the end of 2013, having been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times, The Whole Pantry was name Apple's Best Food and Drink App globally. It was also rated Best New Aussie App, and runner up for App of the Year in the world. It was estimated Belle had made around half a million dollars thus far with the app being downloaded over 300,00 times. It was preinstalled on display iPads featured in Apple stores. But Belle was only getting started.

11:14

The recognition kept pouring in. Cosmopolitan magazine, awarded Gibson its 2014 "Fun Fearless Female" social media award. Whatever that is.

11:29

Soon after The Whole Pantry app release, Belle signed a book deal with Lantern Books, a subgroup of Penguin Books, for cookbook of the same name. That cookbook, The Whole Pantry, was published in October 2014.

11:47

Here is the description of Belle's book The Whole Pantry on Amazon:

11:55

"Belle Gibson's first cookbook, The Whole Pantry, refreshes our food habits with recipes that are as easy-to-do as they are healthy and delicious. The Whole Pantry is packed with over 80 scrumptious new recipes to heal the body. 

12:11

Belle's recipes rediscover natural ingredients, which are free from gluten, refined sugar and dairy, that are restorative and easily incorporated into your everyday cooking.

12:26

Healthy versions of favorites such as Enchiladas, Cornish Pasties, Pad Thai and Vanilla and Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies prove that a plant-based diet can be delicious and inspiring without straining your shopping list. 

12:45

The Whole Pantry is a beautiful, easy-to-follow guide to enjoying food and reshaping your lifestyle through Belle Gibson's delicious recipes. Belle Gibson is an inspirational young mother who encourages us to nourish ourselves in a more natural and sustainable way. 

13:03

After being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer Belle found herself unsupported by conventional medicine. She began a journey of self-education to treat herself through nutrition. 

13:19

Her award-winning app, The Whole Pantry, is a phenomenal resource of recipes, wellness guides and personal support, and has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to change their diet and lifestyle."

13:34

By all accounts, The Whole Pantry book was beautiful. It was filled with recipes adjoined by artistic photos of food, emphasizing the vivid colors of dishes of fruits and vegetables - all while listing their detoxing properties, the importance of gut health, and advice on how to avoid chemicals.

13:55

It gave instructions on how to make your own cleaning products and natural medicines. It encouraged drinking more water, exercising, and getting enough sleep while avoiding technology. And it was all emphasized by pictures of healthy Belle with her family under the guise of Belle's terminal cancer suffering story.

14:18

It's recounted by many friends that Belle was a very caring mother. However, the following story makes it really hard for me to believe that, especially as more becomes known about Belle later in the podcast.

14:37

On Oli's 4th birthday, Belle had a party for Oli with about a dozen of his friends and their parents in attendance. This included a 5 year old boy with brain cancer, Joshua Schwarz. Belle had met Joshua through social media and invited him and his father to the party. Oli's dad Nathan was in attendance, and so was Belle's current partner, Clive. It was said to be a great day filled with balloons and healthy foods.

15:10

Around 3pm, that great day would come to a crashing end for Oli when Belle's eyes rolled back into her head and her legs buckled. She slid down the wall, and began convulsing on the floor. Adults and children were crying as parents hurried their children to another room. 

15:32

As one guest began to call an ambulance, the seizure abruptly stopped. Another friend spoke up and said Belle really didn't like getting hospitals involved given her holistic life focus. As Belle suddenly came to, she explained to her friends this happened all the time, it would be ok, please don't call an ambulance. 

15:56

Belle then proceeded to have multiple additional seizing fits. Her friends helped her through the fits, and then laid her to rest while everyone else headed home; a little bit traumatized. Belle promised her friends she would take it easier over the coming days. Quite the ending to Oli's 4th birthday.

16:20

On July 29, 2014 - 2 weeks after the Oli birthday party incident - Belle would post a photo of pink balloons in the shape of a heart, captioned with the following announcement:

16:32

"With frustration and ache in my heart…it hurts me to find space tonight to let you all know with love and strength that I've been diagnosed with a third and fourth cancer. One is secondary and the other is primary. I have cancer in my blood, spleen, brain, uterus, and liver. I am hurting." Of course her community sent an outpouring of concern and love on this post. Telling her what an inspiration she was, and encouraging her to keep fighting!

17:19

Interestingly, when The Whole Pantry book was launched a few months later, in November 2014, Gibson claimed in its preface that she had been "stable for two years now with no growth of the cancer". Hmmm, weird.

17:38

While Belle dealt with her ongoing terminal cancer challenges using food, she was also polishing up personally as she obtained business success. It was observed that she was now driving a brand new BMW X3, had her teeth cosmetically straightened, and often carried an Alexander Wang purse. She also now rented a $1 million beachside townhouse for more than $1,000 a week.

18:05

Belle further worked with Apple in September 2014 to transition the app as a privileged pre-installed default third party inclusion in the Apple Watch's April 2015 launch. She was the only Australian company invited to develop an app for early inclusion on the watch.

18:31

The Whole Pantry book was published in Australia in late October 2014 - priced at $35 Australian Dollars. By the end of 2014, in less than 3 months, it had already sold over 16,000 copies.

18:53

By early 2015, it was estimated that over $1 million had been made in sales of The Whole Pantry app and book. And Belle Gibson had plans to further expand her brand. She had a concept of The Whole Life. This would add complementary apps to The Whole Pantry to build on the holistic health aspects of the whole individual's life.

19:20

Belle had put forth a proposal to rent a commercial space to launch The Whole Pantry kitchen and kiosk. She also appealed to a new hospital's development to feature her restaurant to quote "provide nurturing whole foods for those in need most". She would be rejected by the hospital, due to Belle's support for unproven treatments and her history of making non-evidence based medical claims. "The board's approach is to be very cautious around what kind of retail we promote in the hospital, and especially cautious inf there are any health claims being made". Smart hospital.

20:05

Today, if you search for The Whole Pantry book on Amazon, you will notice the following disclaimer in bold above the book description I read earlier, and I quote: "Amazon Editorial Note: The author of this book has admitted that she fabricated her diagnosis of terminal brain cancer."

20:30

Let's get into how Belle's huge wellness scam quickly unraveled.

20:36

Journalists were paying attention to Belle's fame, and soon her story claims made over the years emerged as inconsistent to say the least. 

20:49

As we hinted to earlier, despite claiming in her book that she had been cancer free from her magical diet for 2 years, Belle had recently told media outlets that the cancer had reached her liver and kidneys, in addition to posting about it on Instagram. 

21:08

And three months earlier Belle had posted on The Whole Pantry's Facebook page that her cancer had spread to her brain, blood, spleen, and uterus. That's a lot of cancer for someone that's been free of cancer for 2 years, not to mention the inconsistent locations she had the cancer depending upon who she was speaking to when.

21:27

Belle has also previously claimed publicly that she had undergone heart surgery several times. Belle even said she had momentarily died on the operating table when she  suffered a stroke. 

21:42

However, she was unable to substantiate any of her medical claims nor name the doctors who diagnosed and treated her when asked by journalists. It was also observed that Belle did not bear any surgical scars from her supposed heart operations.

22:05

While The Whole Pantry has unequivocally denied that Belle Gibson ever helped anyone to reject conventional cancer treatment, Belle has been quoted from her social media posts as claiming that she had "countless times helped others" to forgo conventional medical treatment for cancer and to treat themselves "naturally", as well as "leading them down natural therapy for everything from fertility, depression, bone damage and other types of cancer".

22:40

However, on her now-deleted Instagram account and in other social media, Gibson also promoted more controversial or potentially dangerous alternative medical practices, including Gerson therapy, anti-vaccination, and the consumption of non-pasteurized raw milk.

23:00

The Gerson Therapy was developed by physician Max Gerson in New York in 1938. It's based on the principle of detoxing the body and rebuilding the immune system through clean diet and using vitamins and mineral supplements. This regimen includes 5 daily coffee enemas, raw juices every hour, and an organic, vegetarian diet.

23:19

The Gerson Therapy has been discounted as quack science since the 1940s by health authorities around the world. Practitioners like Belle state, of course that is what big medicine would say, because they are all involved in a world conspiracy to make money off of the sick.

23:40

As Belle's medical claims were being scrutinized, allegations emerged that charitable contributions raised in 2013 and 2014 had not been given to their intended causes.

23:53

Belle Gibson denied these charges, but Fairfax Media revealed that she had "failed to hand over proceeds solicited in the name of five charities" and had "grossly overstated the company's total donations to different causes".

24:16

Two charities confirmed to The Australian newspaper that Gibson's company had used their names in fundraising drives but had either failed to deliver the donations or had inadequately accounted for the funds

24:33

Belle claimed on a number of occasions in 2014 that The Whole Pantry had donated approximately $300,000 to charities, including maternal healthcare in developing nations, medical support for children with cancer, and funding schools in sub-Saharan Africa.

24:52

Bizarrely, these claims would vary over the years depending upon who Belle was speaking to. Sometimes she would state she donates 25% of the company's profits to charity. Other times, Belle wrote that 95% of her app proceeds went to charity. Some weeks, Belle would claim 100% of app proceeds would go to certain charities, such as the 5 year old terminal brain cancer child. Turns out it's easy to claim anything when you are not really doing it.

25:22

In late 2014, when The Whole Pantry app was pre-installed on the Apple iPad, Belle had claimed through her Instagram account to be working with twenty different charities. 

25:36

Gibson eventually admitted, in relation to fraud proceedings, that she had seriously overstated the level of charitable contributions that had been made. Media reports revealed that only $7,000 of the previously claimed $300,000 had been donated to a total of three charities, with at least $1,000 of the $7,000 reportedly having been donated only after Belle became aware of the journalistic investigation into her philanthropic claims.

26:19

Also in March 2015, the parents of 5 year old boy suffering from brain cancer came forward to report that they had been unaware that Gibson had earlier been claiming to be fundraising for their child's treatment on their behalf. 

26:38

The family had never received any funds from her or The Whole Pantry, and suspected Gibson had been using information gleaned from the family's experiences to underpin her own claims to having brain cancer.

26:55

There were other, unique traits that were realized about Belle as the controversy continued. Belle had reportedly told a prospective business partner in 2014 that she had "several names" that she went under, and in her most recent interview with The Australian Women's Weekly claimed "her mother changed her name five times". Gibson's corporate filings indicate that she is three years younger than she publicly claims to be. Maybe her diet also did age reversal.

27:34

Essentially every charity Belle claimed to donate towards confirmed she had lied. And as the controversy grew, questions began to be raised about Apple, Penguin and the Australian media's lack of due diligence in accepting Gibson's claims of suffering multiple cancers and promoting her wellness approaches as sound.

28:00

Apple, in response, declined to remove The Whole Pantry app from sale in March 2015, stating that it was only concerned about the functionality of the app. However, The Whole Pantry app was soon removed from inclusion in the Apple Watch launch. 
 

28:19

Apple also subsequently deleted the app from the Apple Store, and removed it from all Apple Watch promotional material. Scrubbing the history of Belle Gibson from all of their assets as quickly and as quietly as they could. Apple has not provided any public comment regarding the reasons behind the removal of the app.

28:44

Lantern Books, when approached by journalists, claimed it had not confirmed the validity of Belle Gibson's cancer claims as that was not required for a cookbook. As the controversy grew, Penguin withdrew the book from sale, citing a lack of response from Belle to its queries relating to the media accusations.

29:07

It was later reported that Penguin had, prior to publication of the book, quizzed and videotaped Belle on her cancer story. There is very awkward video of this which can be found online, including a segment where Belle attempts to explain treatments performed upon her in a rather unconvincing manner. Penguin agreed to pay $30,000 to the Victorian Consumer Law Fund as a penalty for failing to validate the actual factual content of the book.

29:48

As the controversy surfaced in the media, The Whole Pantry began removing any comments made on its (since deleted) Facebook page that questioned Gibson's claims, asserting that these comments only added to "the misinformation" of the initial Fairfax article. This selective deletion drew even more negative comment.

30:11

Soon after, all posts were deleted from Bell and The Whole Pantry's Instagram accounts. Around the same time, individual postings about Gibson's cancer, and claims of having died briefly while under heart surgery, were also being selectively deleted by the administrator of her blog "at the request of a user".

30:25

In late April 2015, the jig was up. Belle Gibson gave an interview to The Australian Women's Weekly, in which she finally admitted to having fabricated all her cancer claims. It was joined by an article that can be found online titled 'The Girl Who Conned Us All - My Lifelong Struggle with the Truth." Gibson attributed her deceit to her upbringing, and specifically to neglect by her now-estranged mother, claiming to having been forced to take care of herself and her brother since the age of 5.

31:00

The interview was, however, described as an admission of deceit, without expression of regret or apology. In a May 2015 interview with the same magazine, Gibson's mother Natalie Dal-Bello refuted several claims Gibson had made up about her family, including the false claim that her brother was autistic. 

31:30

In June 2015, Gibson was rumored to have received $45,000 for an interview with Nine Network's 60 Minutes.

31:40

Consumer Affairs Victoria brought legal action against Belle for allegedly breaking Australian consumer law. The regulator said it had conducted an in-depth investigation of Belle's activities and applied to Australia's Federal Court for leave to pursue legal action. Belle's publisher, Penguin Australia, has already agreed to pay A$30,000 to the Victorian Consumer Law Fund as a penalty for releasing The Whole Pantry, which was not fact checked.

32:18

On 15 March 2017, Federal Court Justice delivered the decision that "most but not all" of the claims were proven. Belle herself did not appear in court for the decision. The Justice found that Gibson's claims had been misleading and deceptive.

32:39

The justice said "Ms. Gibson had no reasonable basis to believe she had cancer from the time she began making these claims in public to promote The Whole Pantry Book and the apps in mid-2013", but there was not enough evidence to prove that she was not acting out of delusion.

33:00

In September 2017, Gibson was fined $410,000 for making false claims about her donations to charity. As of April 2019, Gibson had not yet paid the fine, and authorities were seeking power to charge her with contempt of court. 

33:18

It was estimated by Australian Consumer Affairs that the disgraced wellness blogger Belle Gibson had spent more than $91,000 between the years 2017-2019. During that time, Belle went on trips to Bali, Africa, and she spent $13,000 on clothes, cosmetics and accessories. 

33:40

When the courts asked where Belle had obtained funds to travel the world, she said the money had magically appeared in her bank account, she wasn't sure from where. She thought it might've been from her ex Clive, but she didn't ask questions. This is actually what she testified in court.

33:58

Belle also claimed that thousands of dollars going into her account was not income, but repayments for running errands for friends who did not have time to do their shopping or get their car serviced. 

34:14

By September 2019, Belle had still not paid back a single sent to anyone she had scammed. And the courts had had enough.

34:25

On 22 January 2020, the Sheriff’s Office of Victoria raided Belle Gibson's home in Northcote and seized items to recoup Belle's unpaid fines, which, due to interest and costs, exceeded half a million dollars.

34:41

And just when you thought things couldn't get weirder, we have another twist in this tale…

34:50

On 23 January 2020, a Shabo Media video from October 2019 surfaced in which Gibson was wearing a headscarf and speaking partially in Oromo language. It seems Belle has now joined an Ethiopian community in Melbourne, Australia after volunteering for the group for a number of years.

35:18

Belle, now referring to herself as "Sanbotu", discussed the political situation in Ethiopia with an interviewer and referred to Ethiopia as "back home". 

35:29

Belle said she has been adopted by the Ethiopian community, calling the adoption a gift from "Allah".

35:36

However, on the same day the article and video was published with these quotes from Belle, the president of the Australian Oromo Community Association in Victoria stated that Belle Gibson was not a registered volunteer, "is not a community member and she’s also not working with the community."

36:00

He went on to say that he had only seen her at events two or three times. He expressed that no one seemed to know who she was and he had only just learnt of her backstory, and expressed a desire for her to please stop saying she is part of the community.

36:15

In all honesty, I cannot blame Belle for attempting to hide herself away in a new community. She has been heavily harassed and shamed online. Whether she deserves a lifetime of grief for the shameful things she has done. That is not my place to judge or encourage. I personally hope Belle has sought help for whatever emotional drivers that lead her down her path of greed.

36:40

There is nothing knew in cancer scamming or snake oil salesmen. I've covered them in some of my other podcast episodes. These have existed well before Belle Gibson. But when the two are combined for such an empathetic response, combined with the selfish greed of raising more money by lying about donations in addition to lying about cancer, and this tale is very sordid indeed.

37:20

But there are everyday examples of this we ignore, and frankly, to a degree support. Especially when an attractive and influential person is attached. Recently The Goop Lab launched on Netflix; some of you might've watched it? I'll admit I did.

37:41

For those not familiar, Goop is a wellness and fashion company founded by Gwyneth Paltrow. 

37:49

To give you a taste of Goop, if you will, here is the About section of the goop dot come website, it reads and I quote, 

37:58

"We take a curious, open-minded, and service-centric approach to the work we do. We ask questions about all of it. We believe that people can take what serves them and leave what doesn’t. We recommend what we love and what we think is worthy of your time and wallet. We value your trust above all things."

38:24

Yes, Goop does take a curious approach, but I'm not sure they are deserving of our trust. Most of the wellness products on their website are ineffective at best, but some are dangerous at worst. In 2018, Goop settled a consumer protection lawsuit over the unscientific claims that inserting a jade egg into your vagina could balance hormones.

38:53

From the lawsuit quote, "Goop advertised that the Jade and Rose Quartz eggs — egg-shaped stones designed to be inserted vaginally and left in for various lengths of time — could balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles, prevent uterine prolapse, and increase bladder control. Goop advertised that the Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend, a blend of essential oils meant be taken orally or added to bathwater, could help prevent depression."

39:21

“The health and money of Santa Clara County residents should never be put at risk by misleading advertising,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “We will vigilantly protect consumers against companies that promise health benefits without the support of good science…or any science.”

39:47

In case you were wondering, the eggs cost $66 dollars per egg. And they sold out.

39:59

The settlement prohibiting Goop from: making any claims regarding the efficacy or effects of any of its products without possessing competent and reliable scientific evidence that substantiates the claims; and manufacturing or selling any misbranded, unapproved, or falsely advertised medical devices. 

40:20

And under the terms of the judgment, Goop agreed to pay $145,000 in civil penalties.

40:28

Alternative medicines should be used carefully. Many claims are not proven, not well tested, and can have dangerous contraindications with other holistic or prescribed medicines and health conditions. You should always consult a doctor when considering the right health situation for you or your family.

40:50

We need to be extra cautious in these days of social media that contains easy, targeted and pervasive advertising penetrating our subconscious constantly. These ads are mixed into our news feeds and often feature seemingly authentic influencers with armies of paid bots commenting on their live ad feeds with positive reviews for whatever product of the moment they are shilling. 

41:22

Companies selling dangerous chemicals with questionable health impacts are marketed daily by the likes of all kinds of stars, Instagram models, and other paid spokespeople. Most females I know will be familiar with weight loss tea, waist trainers, magical gummy bears that supposed to make your hair grow…and what's popular now…magnetic eyelashes? I don't know I can't keep up with the ever changing beauty standards. And I could go on for hours listing the 'natural' solutions to problems we shouldn't worry about solving are marketed to women and men around the world.

42:05

Stay diligent dear listeners. And always remember the golden rule. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. 

42:19

Thank you for listening to this episode of Controversial Figures. Just a reminder, please like, subscribe, and leave a rating and comment for Controversial Figures in your favorite podcast app. We have a Twitter page now @FiguresPodcast - so please follow us, give us recommendations of Controversial Figures you'd like to hear.

42:45

This podcast is an independent podcast created by Tammy Hawkins. This is funded by those that donate, so please join Patreon and give what you can - once I hit 50 Patreon subscribers, I'll send out swag to all donators! And I'll give shout outs during the show to anyone that's donated. Research references are available in the show notes as are musical references. Thank you so much for listening, thank you so much for your support - be well.