After Penguin Books Australia announced that it would be pulling Melbourne-based Belle Gibson's debut cookbook, The Whole Pantry, Gibson's U.S. publisher, Atria, has confirmed it will not not be proceeding with its own publication. Penguin scrapped the book once doubts were raised about the veracity of Gibson's story—that she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and healthy living and natural therapies helped her treat the disease.
"Our decision was made upon the failure of the author to provide clarification for numerous allegations concerning her biography and charitable endeavors," wrote Atria in a statement, adding that all orders currently in the publisher's system will be cancelled. The book was slated to go on sale April 14.
Before news hit that The Whole Pantry would be pulled, Gibson, who also developed a popular app of the same name, faced backlash when the Sydney Morning Herald reported that she "solicited donations from a loyal following of 200,000 people in the name of at least five charities that have no record of receiving money from her."
Gibson's scandal is not the first, or only, cookbook-related one to make headlines in Australia this month. On March 11, Pan Macmillan announced that it would be putting the publication of celebrity chef Pete Evans's Paleo cookbook for babies, Bubba Yum Yum, on hold after experts raised concerns that the book included recipes that might be harmful, or fatal, to babies.
"In my view, there's a very real possibility that a baby may die if this book goes ahead," professor Heather Yeatman, president of the Public Health Association of Australia, told the Australian Women's Weekly. On March 16, Evans announced via social media that he would be releasing the title as an e-book, worldwide, in April.
