IN BRIEF
- Officials have confirmed action against Belle Gibson is ongoing nearly a decade after the Federal Court ruling.
- Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said in February that Consumer Affairs Victoria “won’t let up” in chasing the outstanding penalty.
Consumer Affairs Victoria has reiterated its commitment to recovering a $410,000 court-imposed penalty from controversial wellness influencer Belle Gibson, asserting that the debt remains active nearly ten years after it was ordered by the Federal Court.
This assurance was provided during a parliamentary estimates hearing on Friday, following inquiries from Victorian Nationals MP Jade Benham. Benham sought clarification on whether the long-standing penalty had been effectively dismissed as a bad debt.
Benham highlighted remarks made by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan last year, noting that Consumer Affairs Victoria was “constantly and consistently” seeking to enforce the fine. This penalty was levied in 2017 after Gibson admitted to fabricating claims about having terminal brain cancer and misleading consumers.
Victoria’s Consumer Affairs Minister, Paul Edbrooke, responded to Benham’s inquiries by stating, “I don’t have any information that says that has been written off,” before passing the question to Nicole Rich, the director of Consumer Affairs Victoria.
“No, it hasn’t been written off,” confirmed Rich.
Rich further assured, “Ms. Benham, we will continue to pursue that. It’s a court penalty, so it will continue to be owed.”
A Consumer Affairs Victoria spokesperson told SBS News the watchdog “has continued to undertake actions” to enforce the debt owed by Gibson under court order.
Gibson was ordered by the Federal Court in 2017 to pay $410,000 after Consumer Affairs Victoria successfully sued her for misleading and deceptive conduct over false claims she had terminal brain cancer and other cancers and had cured them through diet and alternative therapies.
She had also falsely claimed profits from her wellness brand, app and cookbook business would be donated to charity.
Interest and penalties later pushed the amount owed beyond $500,000, while authorities previously raided Gibson’s Northcote home in attempts to seize assets.
The case returned to public attention last year, following the release of Netflix drama Apple Cider Vinegar, which dramatised Gibson’s rise and fall and renewed scrutiny on whether the debt would ever be recovered.
Allan said in February that Consumer Affairs Victoria “won’t let up” in pursuing the outstanding penalty.
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