Manulife told Blanchard that her Facebook photos showed that she was able to work.  According to Blanchard’s attorney, Manulife claimed that pictures of Blanchard having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a vacation were enough proof to show that she was no longer depressed.  Her attorney says she had the right to go on a vacation and claims that she was wrongfully dismissed from her benefits.

International Business Times reports that Manulife has declined to comment on this dispute but has said in a statement that the company would not deny or terminate a valid claim simply because of published information on social networking sites like Facebook.

However, Blanchard’s attorney is claiming that her doctor recommended she go on vacation and that Manulife terminated her disability benefits without proper medical recommendations, relying on the Facebook photos instead.

The lesson: Be careful what you post on Facebook or any other social networking site; it is public information, not a private diary.

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