‘Everything is fake’: Taiwan fitness influencer outed as fraud by ex-husband for sham 3-year cancer ordeal, also admits lying to new partner
- Woman posted fake photos of consultations with doctors, hair loss and nosebleeds to boost her online profile
- Man claiming to be ex-husband exposes her as a fraud then social media sleuths finish job of outing her as a scammer
A fitness influencer in Taiwan – who had portrayed herself as a cancer fighter – has been exposed as a fraud by her ex-husband, sparking an outcry on social media.
The influencer, who went by the name @MianBaobao and had amassed more than 1,100 followers on Instagram, claimed that she had been diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer three years ago.
On her Instagram profile she described herself as “A woman who aspires to be a non-professional weightlifting athlete and a professional cancer fighter.”
She consistently shared photos of her “cancer treatment sessions” and daily training, accompanied by hashtags like #cancerfightingdaily.
All the posts portrayed a positive image of her as being dedicated and courageous.
However, in May, details were posted on social media by her alleged ex-husband which cast doubt over her story.
He 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 NT$8,480 (US$275), and I never saw any attending doctor, diagnosis proof, or hospital receipts from her in the past two years,” he added.
The poster also alleged she used the cancer treatment as an excuse to move out of their shared home and asked for a divorce a month later.
Online sleuths carried out investigations and discovered that the photos she had posted showing hair loss, X-ray machines and nosebleeds, were actually sourced from the internet.
As the situation escalated, @MianBaoBao finally confessed that her entire persona as a “cancer fighter” was a fabrication.
She has deleted all of her Instagram posts, leaving behind only one message, which reads: “I lied about having cancer and deceived everyone for three years. I know I deserve to die a thousand deaths and I must bear the consequences of my own choices.”
Filled with a sense of betrayal, her current husband said: “Is there anything more unjust than what I have experienced? I feel like an absolute fool.”
The story quickly went viral on social media, eliciting a substantial public backlash.
One person said: “Cancer fighter is all just a facade? I cannot believe there are people who pretend to have cancer!”
“Being able to deceive for three whole years is truly skilled. Those who have supported her must be heartbroken,” said another.
A third person added: “So she wanted to be famous? Well, now she is famous to the point of being infamous, famous to the extent of online social death.”
