A twisted Netflix series is inspired by the story of Belle Gibson, a woman who faked having a terminal illness to grow a wellness empire.
Apple Cider Vinegar was released on Netflix just yesterday (6 February), and viewers have already been blown away by the dark reality of it.
The series follows Belle Gibson's journey to becoming an online wellness guru, who gained the trust of her followers by sharing openly about her struggles with brain cancer.
Only, the cancer was non-existent, and Gibson was scamming her hundreds of thousands of followers - many of which were looking for hope while living with similar conditions.
What is Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar based on?
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While it may be hard to believe, Netflix Tudum explains the series is inspired by a 'true-ish story based on a lie'.
Gibson launched The Whole Pantry app where she sold paleo, gluten-free and vegan recipes, as well as healthy lifestyle guides.
The app skyrocketed, becoming Apple’s best food and drink app and the second-best iPhone app in the world by the end of 2013.
The influencer also signed an incredibly lucrative book deal with Penguin, for an $132,000 AUD advance.
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But while all of this was going on, there was simply no evidence, and never has been, that Gibson had ever had cancer.
Her Instagram was made up of perfect pictures portraying that she was glowing with health, despite posting regularly about her crippling illness.
She told fans that doctors had claimed she had just 'four months to live', but tricked everyone into thinking she had cured her stage 4 brain cancer through diet and alternative therapies.
Gibson also claimed to have sent money earned from her cookbook and app sales to charity, which was also discovered to have been false.
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This led to her being issued a fine of $410,000 (£240,000).
Who is Belle Gibson?
Gibson, played by Kaitlyn Dever in the Netflix series, was born in Tasmania on 8 October 1991.
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It's been reported that she never knew who her father was, and that her mother, Natalie Dal-Bello, moved to Adelaide and remarried in 2012.
It's also believed that she is now estranged from her daughter.
But what is made completely clear throughout the series, is that Gibson had been described as a 'pathological liar' from a very early age.
An ex-boyfriend came forward, admitting that 'she couldn’t go five minutes without making up a story'.
How did she get found out?
Her lies finally got exposed in 2015, when journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano published their findings about her lack of charitable donations.
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Following this, Gibson even admitted that the whole thing was a lie, speaking to Australia's The Weekly.
In a shocking turn of events, she said: "None of it's true.
"I am still jumping between what I think I know and what is reality.
"I have lived it and I'm not really there yet."
Where is Belle Gibson now?
It's pretty obvious why no one would want to be associated with someone who could lie about having brain cancer, as well be so deceitful to others really struggling.
But Gibson did speak out in 2020, claiming that she had been 'adopted' by an Ethiopian ethnic group, the Oromo community.
She is using the name Sabontu, according to an ABC interview, where she could be seen wearing a headscarf.
She said: "My heart is deeply embedded in the Oromo people, I feel blessed to be adopted by you."
However, members of the Oromo community spoke to ABC Australia after this, saying they had not been aware of her identity until news of a raid on her home had hit the press.
In February 2024, a news reporter from Channel 9's A Current Affair confronted the scammer at a petrol station.
They asked why she hadn't paid her fine for the crimes yet, to which Gibson responded: "Have some humanity.
"I haven't paid things because I can't afford to."
Apple Cider Vinegar is available to stream on Netflix now.
Topics: Cancer, Food and Drink, Health, Netflix, TV And Film
Mia Williams