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Apple Cider Vinegar: What is True Story Behind Belle Gibson, The Influencer Who Faked Cancer? Find Out
Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar tells the shocking story of Belle Gibson, an Australian influencer who faked having terminal cancer to gain fame and fortune.
Netflix’s latest series, Apple Cider Vinegar, is a semi-fictional take on the true story of Belle Gibson, an Australian influencer who falsely claimed to have terminal brain cancer.
Released on Thursday, the series stars Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson and explores how she built a brand based on a fake health journey.
Alycia Debnam-Carey plays Milla, a fictional influencer who has a real cancer diagnosis, while Aisha Dee plays Chanelle, Milla’s friend who exposes Gibson’s fraud.
Tilda Cobham-Hervey portrays Lucy, a cancer patient who follows Gibson, and Mark Coles Smith plays Lucy’s husband, a journalist investigating Gibson’s false claims.
Belle Gibson first gained attention in 2009 when she claimed she had only four months to live after being diagnosed with brain cancer. She said she had tried chemotherapy but decided to heal naturally through healthy eating and wellness treatments.
By 2013, Gibson had a growing online presence, with over 200,000 Instagram followers. She launched The Whole Pantry app in 2014, which Apple promoted as one of the best food and drink apps. She also secured a book deal with Penguin, expanding her influence in the wellness industry.
Gibson received major media recognition. Elle Australia described her as The Most Inspiring Woman You’ve Met This Year, and Cosmopolitan gave her the Fun Fearless Female award. She later claimed that her cancer had spread to her uterus, spleen, liver, and blood.
In 2015, Belle Gibson’s story began to unravel. Journalists Beau Donnelly and Nick Toscano started investigating her after she failed to donate money to charities as she had promised. Questions arose about her health claims, leading to increased media scrutiny.
In May 2015, Gibson admitted to The Australian Women’s Weekly that she never had cancer. “None of it’s true,” she confessed. The revelation shocked her followers and the wellness community.
Following the exposure of her lies, Australian authorities took legal action against Belle Gibson. In 2017, she was fined $410,000 for misleading and deceptive conduct. However, she refused to pay the fines, leading to multiple raids on her home.
Donnelly and Toscano later wrote The Woman Who Fooled the World, a book detailing Gibson’s scam. This book is the basis for Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar, bringing her story back into the spotlight.
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