Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Netflix, TV And Film, True Crime, Crime, Life, Real Life, True Life
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Netflix, TV And Film, True Crime, Crime, Life, Real Life, True Life
It only landed on Netflix less than a week ago and already true crime drama Apple Cider Vinegar has set tongues wagging all over the world.
And apparently, the true-crime hit has done so for all the right reasons.
For those who haven't yet binged their way through the six-part series, Apple Cider Vinegar is inspired by the shocking true story of Belle Gibson.
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Throughout the 2010s, Australian influencer Gibson embarked on her journey to becoming one of the most highly-respected fitness gurus online.
She did so by discussing her heartbreaking previous diagnosis with brain cancer in an attempt to bond with her followers - many of whom had been enduring similar health problems at the time.
At her most poorly, she told her fans she'd been given 'four months to live' - all the while promoting her The Whole Pantry app, upon which she sold paleo, gluten-free and vegan recipes, as well as healthy lifestyle guides.
Little did her followers know, however, that Gibson had been scamming them in exchange for cash, and had been lying about her health the entire time in an attempt to boost the success her social media platforms.
In the series - which Netflix's Tudum describes as a 'true-ish story based on a lie' - Gibson is played by American actress Kaitlyn Dever.
Alycia Debnam-Carey, meanwhile, plays a fictionalised version of late teen magazine editor Jessica Ainscough (Milla), who died in 2015 after rejecting the prescribed treatment for a rare cancer she was diagnosed with at the age of 22, reportedly following Gibson's encouragement.
Aisha Dee also joins the cast as Chanelle, Milla's friend and Gibson's assistant, alongside Tilda Cobham-Hervey, who plays another cancer patient and friend of Gibson.
The series has seemingly hit home with plenty of viewers, with many commending both the actors involved and producers behind the scenes for their work.
Taking to Twitter, one viewer wrote: "Wasn’t sure I could stomach @netflix #applecidervinegar & it really is a tough watch.
"The idea that Belle Gibson faked a #Glioblastoma diagnosis for attention & then for profit and is utterly horrific. The acting is v good but sadly Laura wasn’t acting - this was her real life."
Another revealed: "Iv literally just finished watching this .. very sick twisted individual but a good watch also."
A third penned: "Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar is so good and absolutely infuriating at the same time."
Another continued: "It’s worth watching. Even more horrifying is the real life story about Belle because it’s so much worse in reality.
"Though as someone who’s got health issues, the character Milla Blake was the most infuriating because you come across them so many times in the world."
A fifth added: "#applecidervinegar This show was so good & oh man it had me hooked. The cast are all amazing & I love when true crime is done well. Belle Gibson is a disgusting human being & so are all these alternative medicine companies who prey on sick people".
A full-fledged criminal investigation found no evidence of Gibson's alleged brain cancer diagnosis, and she was subsequently slapped with a hefty fine of of $410,000 (£240,000).
It remains unclear whether or not she has settled the fines. However, she was never handed any kind of prison sentence for the scam.
You can stream Apple Cider Vinegar on Netflix now.