Fitness influencer admits faking late-stage pancreatic cancer for three years to gain followers
Topics: Cancer, Instagram, World News
Ben Thompson
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@oanpanmano
Topics: Cancer, Instagram, World News
A fitness influencer who claimed to have late-stage pancreatic cancer has admitted that she lied about her diagnosis in a shocking statement.
The Taiwanese influencer, who goes by the user name MianBaobao, first announced her seemingly devastating diagnosis of pancreatic cancer three years ago and had regularly shared updates with her 11,000 followers.
Her former Instagram bio even read: "Non-professional weightlifting athlete and a professional cancer fighter," according to Insider.
But her cancer story started to unravel last year when a man claiming to be her ex-husband shared his suspicions online.
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The man said: "Every time she went for treatment she insisted that her family drop her off at the entrance to the hospital and insisted on seeing the doctor alone.
"The total medical expenses for the whole family in 2021 amounted to just $275, and I never saw any attending doctor, diagnosis proof, or hospital receipts from her in the past two years."
And now, she has admitted herself that it was a fabrication.
After deleting all her Instagram posts, the influencer posted an apology originally written in mandarin, reading: "To all the family members, friends, fans, and netizens who have cared about me, supported me, and cheered me on, I want to apologize.
"I did the last thing a person should do. I lied about cancer and lied to everyone for three years. I'm sorry to anyone who ever gave me a little kindness.
"I know I deserve to die for the things I've done. And now I need to pay the price for the choices I've made."
She even took the time to apologise to companies that had sponsored her over the last few years: "I’m fully responsible for a big vendor if it needs compensation, of course I know a lot of money can’t pay.
"I’m sorry for the storm caused and I’m sorry for the waste of everyone.
"Made the most wrong demonstration, hurt the people who love men and the people I love. I’m really sorry about all this."
The South China Morning Post has also reported that the influencer faked her cancer diagnosis to boost her online profile.
UNILAD has attempted to contact MianBaobao for comment.
Shockingly so, MianBaobao isn't the first person to have been caught out lying about having cancer.
Earlier this year, a TikToker was arrested after scamming supporters out of $37,000 after she claimed to have a tumour the size of an American football.
Madison Russo had lied about having pancreatic cancer and was arrested on charges of first-degree theft, which carried a sentence of ten years in prison in her state of Iowa.