Elle Macpherson’s controversies: An extensive look at the supermodel’s tumultuous history amid backlash over her ‘holistic’ cancer treatment

Elle Macpherson has been in the headlines after her controversial remarks about her ‘holistic’ cancer treatment were unveiled.

The supermodel, 60, sparked a wave of backlash by revealing she went against the advice of 32 doctors in refusing chemotherapy treatment seven years ago.

However, it is not the only controversy the Australian fashion icon has been hit with during her high-profile decades-long career.

From dating a disgraced anti-vaxxer and customers failing to get orders from her wellness brand WelleCo, to an ugly vitamin war with a former business partner, here is a look back at all the controversies that have plagued Elle’s career. 

Holistic Cancer Treatment

Elle revealed in her memoir titled Elle: Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself that she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago.

A lumpectomy uncovered, and likely removed, a HER2 positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma.

Thirty-two doctors recommended the Australian superstar undergo a mastectomy with radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy to prevent its return.

However, Elle ignored their medical advice after a meditation session on a beach in Miami led her down a ‘holistic’ pathway of treatment. 

She jetted off to a house in Phoenix, Arizona in February 2017 for eight months where she underwent a wellness based cancer treatment.

Her primary doctor, a doctor of naturopathy, holistic dentist, osteopath, chiropractor and two therapists guided her through this bizarre process.

Elle divorced from husband Jefferey Soffer in June this same year, four months after her controversial decision to ignore the advice of medical doctors, and received mixed reactions from her sons Flynn, 26, and Cy, 21.

Her youngest son fully supported his famous mother because he believed chemotherapy was ‘a kiss of death’, but her eldest had his reservations. 

‘Flynn, being more conventional, wasn’t comfortable with my choice at all. He is my son, though, and would support me through anything and love me through my choices, even if he didn’t agree with them,’ Elle said. 

Elle added her ex Arki Busson, from whom she split in 2005 after welcoming their two sons, ‘didn’t agree’ with her methods but wrote a letter telling her how ‘proud’ he was of ‘the courage I was showing’.

The model is currently in remission, likely due to her initial lumpectomy – a surgery which removes cancer from the breast while leaving most of the tissue in place.

Going against the advice of 32 doctors, she sparked a wave of backlash for her wellness-based choice of cancer treatment – but it’s not the only controversy the model has faced over the years

She told Women’s Weekly at the time of her memoir’s release she took ‘an intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach’ to treating her cancer diagnosis.

‘Saying no to standard medical solutions was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But saying no to my own inner sense would have been even harder,’ she said.

Adding that she thought chemotherapy and surgery were too ‘extreme’, she admitted ‘people thought I was crazy’ but forged ahead with her plan anyway.

Elle told Tracy Grimshaw on 60 Minutes Australia on Sunday she has always followed ‘natural medicine’ and her choice was ‘unconventional’ like the ‘rest of her life’.

‘It was a choice of losing my breasts, or losing my life, that I was given. So it was not a vanity choice, let me put it that way,’ she said.

‘It was a natural route in my treatment from within. I had been really looking at the body in a holistic way — spiritual and physical well-being.’    

Elle, who was once known as The Body in her modelling heyday, went on to explain she does get regular medical check ups, including scans and blood tests.

She also said she is confident the cancer will not return: ‘I don’t anticipate any and I have no indication that there would be. Zero.

‘The body has the infinite capacity to heal and I am in utter wellness… Fear is something that can really make you ill. So I’m not interested in that.’

Elle has been met with huge backlash and was branded ‘shockingly irresponsible’ by medics and fans since the release of her memoir. 

Her comments have proved to be divisive, with one doctor slamming Elle for promoting ‘holistic’ treatment while many celebrities have also weighed in on the debate, including MAFS expert Mel Schilling, who is battling colon cancer, and TV presenter Kerri-Anne Kennerly, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012.

Dr Liz O’Riordan, former Consultant Oncoplastic Surgeon at Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, discussed the dangers of alternative cancer therapies on ITV’s Lorraine, saying Elle likely didn’t understand the ‘ripple effect’ of her remarks.

She said: ‘I think it’s really hard to get my head around, we know that there is no evidence that alternative holistic treatments can cure cancer and it’s really hard when someone with her profile decides to do this.

‘My worry is that people will see her choice and not take treatments like chemotherapy and the problem is when women don’t choose mainstream treatment and just have alternative treatments they are six times more likely to die.’

Typical cancer treatment revolves around surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Cancer Research UK notes that some patients also use complementary therapies to feel better, ease the side effects of these treatments and improve quality of life.

Aromatherapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage therapy, visualisation and yoga are among the most common examples, it said.

Meanwhile, alternative therapies including shark cartilage supplements and Gerson therapy — which involves following an organic vegetarian diet and undergoing up to five coffee enemas a day — have been used instead of medical treatment.

There is no scientific or medical evidence that these therapies can cure cancer.

Some might even be unsafe, trigger harmful side effects or interact with medical treatment, according to Cancer Research UK.

Staging Paparazzi Photos

Elle was caught in quite the embarrassing gaffe in January, months before the release of her memoir, when she arrived in Australia for the first time in four years to celebrate her brand WelleCo’s 10th anniversary.

As she landed in Sydney, the supermodel was met by photographers when she headed into the Crown Sydney hotel. 

Married At First Sight villain Harrison Boon happened to spot Elle outside the venue being swarmed by paparazzi – only for her to repeatedly pose for them to capture the perfect frame. 

Elle was caught staging paparazzi photos at the Crown Sydney in January this year when she returned to Australia for the first time in four years

The reality star posted a video of Elle in action to his Instagram Stories, revealing she and new boyfriend, American musician Doyle Bramhall, repeated their walk into the venue several times. 

‘They did this cringe walking in thing about 250 times no exaggeration,’ Harrison wrote in his caption. 

Elle was photographed beaming at cameras as she held hands with Doyle on her way into Crown Sydney. 

In Harrison’s video, she is seen circling and doubling back before approaching photographers a second time. 

Airport Rage

In November 2023, Elle lost her temper with customs officers at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport in America when she was kept waiting in line. 

The entrepreneur snapped at a staff member when she was waved through customs only to be called back again.

And the WelleCo founder made no effort to hide her irritation at being made to wait with everyone else going through customs. 

Forced to wait in line for longer than she anticipated, Elle vented her frustrations to security and demanded answers.  

‘Why did you just say I could go through and then tell me I had to come back?’ Elle snapped.

She continued: ‘You just let five people through. I was before them and now I’m at the back again.’

The tall beauty was carrying a $5,300 leopard print Christian Dior tote bag and garbed in a luxe Texan-style ensemble as she went on her tirade. 

Cashing In On The Supplement Craze

Elle is the co-founder and creative director of the company WelleCo, which sold ‘alkalising’ nutritional supplements as recently as 2020.

She claimed the body works ‘optimally’ when the pH of blood is slightly alkaline, and once carried a urine kit in her handbag so she could check her pee at any time.

Scientists often decried the fad of ‘eating alkaline’, blasting the craze as pointless and based on junk science.

Elle cashed in on the wellness craze by co-founding the company WelleCo, which sold ‘alkalising’ nutritional supplements as recently as 2020 – a fad scientists have slammed

Cancer Research UK noted the pH balance of blood is tightly regulated by the kidneys and cannot be changed for any meaningful amount of time by what is eaten.

All that can be changed is the acidity of your urine.

In February 2020, Elle also launched her Super Booster supplement range, which claimed to assist the libido.

While Elle told her Instagram followers the Super Booster ‘really works’, the product had a caveat. 

‘If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Supplements may only be of assistance if dietary intake is inadequate,’ it said.

WelleCo celebrated its 10th anniversary in January this year with Elle hosting a very hippy lunch, serving only vegetarian dishes and mocktails, to mark the occasion.

Inviting several guests, including friend Pip Edwards, to her intimate dinner at Shell House Sydney, Elle wanted attendees to only enjoy her favourite foods.

Her vegetarian menu included wakame, cucumber with horseradish, and buttered whole wheat sourdough to snack on.

She claimed the body works ‘optimally’ when the pH of blood is slightly alkaline, and once carried a urine kit in her handbag so she could check her pee at any time

Then followed three courses ‘designed to share’ between guests, with the entrée including leeks with sour cream and feta, cucumber and red pimento peppers.

Mains included coal roasted beetroot, grilled oyster mushroom and eggplant with red Salanova salad and Brussels sprout as sides.

Guest finished off with grapefruit granita and oat milk sorbet with hazelnuts, summer berries and dark chocolate for dessert.

Mocktails were circulated throughout the bar in accordance with Elle’s strict ‘no alcohol’ rule, while guests were treated to ‘sound healing’ sessions.

‘Sharing sound medicine for inner peace, beauty and wellbeing,’ Elle captioned a photo she shared to Instagram of bowls sitting beneath a microphone.

WelleCo Customers Up In Arms 

Elle came under fire in September 2023 when customers of her wellness brand WelleCo publicly demanded answers for their missing orders. 

The former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model was slammed when she shared a selfie to her company’s Instagram page while disgruntled customers were still waiting on their products. 

Some flocked to the comments and claimed they had yet to receive orders they ordered up to a month ago and were being ignored by customer service.  

Elle came under fire in September 2023 when customers of her wellness brand WelleCo publicly demanded answers for their missing orders 

‘Why do you have time to post on IG but you don’t get back on orders outstanding since 1 Sep,’ one person wrote.

Another said: ‘Please could someone respond to my email or direct message as I have been charged for my subscription and still not received my product.’

‘Hi I’ve been trying to get my order! And no one has responded to my email and customer service request,’ a third added.

Someone else suggested that Elle and WelleCo should ‘dial back the advertising’ until they have ‘adequate supply’.

They added: ‘After reading these replies, I should have read them before I ordered. I got one shipment and then as the subscription was set to renew, you’re out of stock.’

Some flocked to the comments of one of her posts and claimed they had yet to receive orders they ordered up to a month ago and were being ignored by customer service

WelleCo CEO Leighton Richards released a statement to address the issue and ease customers’ concerns. 

‘This year the brand has experienced exponential growth with a 560 per cent increase in new customers. Naturally this has come with some challenges,’ he wrote.

‘Our formulations depend on the highest-quality, premium ingredients. They are harder to source, often leading to wait times of multiple months to match demand.’

He continued: ‘As much as we strive to maintain a healthy inventory, we simply didn’t have the steps in place to keep up with this recent level of growth.’

Leighton went on to say the company has since upsized their warehouse, implemented new systems and tripled their team to keep up with orders. 

‘Like any wellness transformation, this is a process. But we’ve been delivering Elixirs since 2014 so we’ve got a strong foundation to build upon,’ he said.

‘We hope you’ll see that we are the real deal and our intentions are as good as our ingredients.’

Ugly Vitamin War

The concept of WelleCo was hatched in a garage in Peppermint Grove in Perth, Australia, by Elle’s friend Andrea Horwood.

Andrea gave Elle an initial 50 per cent share in the ‘powdered green goods’ business in return for the supermodel promoting it.

The business prospered, and WelleCo went on to become worth about $30million. 

In 2019 it emerged that WelleCo co-founder Andrea Horwood was suing Elle’s private company Rolico after Elle and her investors allegedly reneged on a deal to allow her to buy more of the company

However, in 2019, it emerged that Andrea was suing Elle’s private company Rolico, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands tax haven. 

Andrea said Elle and her investors allegedly reneged on a deal to allow her to buy more of the company, then sacked her and locked her out of her own office.

The West Australian Supreme Court pushed the parties into mediation, telling them they had two options: the company could be wound up, or Andrea’s shareholding could be purchased.

Romance With Disgraced Anti-Vaxxer Doctor

In February 2017, when Elle made the decision to undergo her more holistic cancer treatment path, she was married to Jeffrey but they ultimately split after four years together in June of that year. 

She went on to date disgraced former doctor and antivaxxer, Andrew Wakefield, who she met at a ‘Doctors Who Rock’ awards ceremony in Florida in November 2017.

Elle is believed to have split from Andrew — whose discredited research linking the MMR jab and autism made him a pariah — in 2020.

Elle dated disgraced former doctor and antivaxxer, Andrew Wakefield, who she met at a ‘Doctors Who Rock’ awards ceremony in Florida in November 2017 – the same year she underwent her controversial ‘holistic’ cancer treatment

She publicly backed her boyfriend during the Covid outbreak, stating the pandemic was a ‘divine time’ to promote the campaign against vaccinations.

In video footage obtained by the Mail in 2020, she was introduced by Andrew as ‘my girlfriend’ ahead of a US screening of his anti-vaccination propaganda.

Talking to him before an audience in North Carolina, she said: ‘You made this film during Covid, and it’s interesting because it’s such beautiful, sacred timing when you watch the film, because it’s so pertinent and so relevant.

‘And for it to come in this divine time where vaccination and mandatory vaccination is on everybody’s lips.’

It was the first time the entrepreneur acknowledged their relationship in public and endorsed her partner’s activism.

Andrew, originally from Berkshire, was struck off the medical register in 2010 after his research showing the supposed link between the MMR jabs and autism was exposed as an ‘elaborate fraud’.