A New York bride whose entire wedding was paid for by well-wishers who believed she had terminal cancer faked her illness, the woman's husband alleges.
Michael O'Connell claims his wife, Jessica Vega, pretended to have terminal leukemia in order to cash in on donations from strangers and family members who helped pay for everything from the bridal gown to the couple's honeymoon, RecordOnline.com reports.
The couple, both 23, were featured in an April 26 Times Herald-Record article about strangers who had come together to pay for their dream wedding while Vega was still well enough to walk down the aisle.
The couple's entire wedding was paid for by well-wishers, the newspaper reported, and O'Connell and Vega used donations for a honeymoon in Aruba, where they stayed in a donated time share.
O'Connell, who believed that his wife was terminally ill, is now claiming that a letter from her doctor explaining her condition is a fake, the newspaper reports.
O'Connell said he called the office of Dr. Dan Costin -- the doctor named in the letter -- and was told that no person with his wife’s name was ever a patient of Costin's, according to the newspaper.
Vega, meanwhile, reportedly denies lying about her diagnosis.
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