MELBOURNE, Australia -- Officials say Australian author and blogger Belle Gibson faces a possible government lawsuit after admitting that she lied about beating a normally deadly brain tumor through healthy eating and natural therapies.

The 24-year-old social media entrepreneur and author of "The Whole Pantry," a cookbook that detailed her purportedly life-saving diet, admitted a year ago that she had never been diagnosed with cancer.

Consumer Affairs Victoria, a state government watchdog, said in a statement Friday it has applied to the Australian Federal Court to sue Gibson and her company, Inkerman Road Nominees, for false and misleading conduct.

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The court is to hear the application on May 24. The maximum penalty is 220,000 Australian dollars ($160,000) for an individual and AU$1.1 million for a company.