Apple Cider Vinegar: Fact Versus Fiction in Netflix's New Ripped From the Headlines Series

We all know the dangers of getting your health information from social media. But that hasn't stopped people from hocking, believing, and investing in all kinds of health fads and pseudoscience at the urging of influencers. From detoxes and wellness vaping to charcoal lattes and crystal-infused water, wellness trends can spread like wildfire — and they can be just as dangerous. 

It's a topic Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar, named after the OG health fad, tackles over six episodes. The fictionalized series is inspired by two real-life Australian health influencers, Jessica Ainscough and Belle Gibson. One of them used her online platform to share her natural food discoveries in the wake of cancer, and the other was a complete fraud. 

Their respective stories are presented in a colorful and interconnected way in Apple Cider Vinegar, with plenty of fabrications, dramatic twists, and creative liberties thrown in. If you're trying to decipher fact from fiction, read on for all you need to know about this wild series and the women who convinced cancer patients to stop listening to their doctors. 

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Did Belle Gibson really have cancer?

Played by Kaitlyn Dever in Apple Cider Vinegar, Belle Gibson is a woman who lied about having terminal brain cancer in order to gain a massive online following. She claimed she beat the disease through diet and lifestyle. As her popularity grew she developed an app called The Whole Pantry, struck a deal with Apple, and wrote a book. In 2015, two journalists exposed Belle's lies and she experienced a very public downfall.

The series points to Belle's rough upbringing as one of the reasons as to why she may have made up the lie, as well as a history of making up health afflictions to gain online sympathy. While the series leads us to believe Belle continued lying because of her social media addiction and need for followers, her real-life motives remain unknown.

It took a while, but Belle finally admitted she never had cancer. Unfortunately, in all of her interviews (including the re-created 60 Minutes sit-down) she failed to outright admit she'd lied and said she'd been "wrongly" diagnosed with cancer instead. She has never shown medical reports supporting that claim. 

Is Milla real?

Apple Cider Vinegar also digs into the story of a young woman named Milla, played by Alycia Debnam-Carey. Milla isn't real but her character is inspired by a "Wellness Warrior" named Jessica Ainscough. 

When Ainscough was 23, she was diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma, a rare type of soft tissue cancer. Doctors told her the best way to deal with the cancer was to amputate her arm at the shoulder. Instead, she turned to a treatment known as Gerson therapy. She left her job as an editor at a teen magazine and began sharing her experiences online. There, she gained a following, including other cancer patients. 

Seven years after her diagnosis, Ainscough died at the age of 30. 

Did Ainscough's mother really die from cancer?

The series also introduces Milla's mother, played by Susie Porter. After she's diagnosed with cancer, Milla's mother in the show follows her daughter's advice and begins Gerson therapy, resulting in her death. In real life, Ainscough's mother took a similar path when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Instead of seeking medical treatment, she too followed Gerson, and died two years later.

Is Gerson Therapy real?

The Gerson Institute is a real company that offers Gerson therapy. On the official website it defines Gerson therapy as, "a natural treatment that activates the body's extraordinary ability to heal itself through an organic, plant-based diet, raw juices, coffee enemas and natural supplements."

The institute was founded in 1978 and claims to have helped thousands of patients recover from chronic degenerative diseases. However, the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved Gerson therapy for the treatment of cancer or other diseases, and cites few clinical studies. It also warns against the dangers of taking too many enemas, of any kind. 

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Were Belle and Jessica Friends in real life?

At the beginning of Apple Cider Vinegar, Belle follows Milla and seems slightly obsessed with her. However, after meeting Milla and being rejected, Belle begins seeing her as a rival. Milla, meanwhile, senses that Belle isn't being honest and works to take her down. 

In real life, Belle credited Jessica as an inspiration and even attended her funeral and acted devastated, like she does in the show. While they weren't documented friends, their interactions are detailed in the book that inspired the series, The Woman Who Fooled the World, by journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano. 

Was Belle really caught for charity fraud?

Nick and Beau took Belle down after they received a tip from a woman claiming to be Belle's friend. They knew they couldn't outright expose her lie about cancer without proof, but they did turn to her social media posts soliciting money for various charities. 

They figured if she was lying about the cancer diagnosis, what else might she be lying about? It turns out they were right, and money that Belle had promised to raise for various foundations and people was never actually sent to those entities.

In 2017, Belle was fined $417,000 for false charity promises, but to date she has not paid any of those fines. And yes, that includes to the family of a little boy with cancer who was relying on those funds for his treatment. The series features a similar story.

Is Chanelle based on a real character?

In the series, Chanelle (Aisha Dee) is the one who outs Belle to the media. In real life, the character is inspired by a woman named Chanelle McAuliffe, who was friends with Belle. Chanelle and Belle met when Chanelle was assigned to write a story about the influencer. They realized they had mutual friends and forged a friendship. 

Last year, Chanelle spoke to The Daily Mail about how Belle conned her too, until she eventually grew suspicious of Belle's behavior. 

"I went over to her house and essentially confronted her," Chanelle told the publication. "I said to her, 'Do you have cancer? Can you provide any scans, any medical evidence that shows you have cancer?'"

When Belle failed to provide any proof, Chanelle went to the press and the police about her suspicions. 

Is Lucy Based on a real character?

One character who is completely fabricated for the series is Lucy, played by Tilda Cobham-Hervey. Instead, she's meant to be a representation of multiple people who were influenced and harmed by Belle's claims. Lucy also adds to the drama when her husband, Justin (Mark Coles Smith), becomes personally motivated to work on the story that eventually takes Belle down. 

Were Clive Rothwell and Belle Gibson involved?

There has been a lot of real-life speculation about Clive Rothwell, played by Ashley Zukerman in the series. In 2019, Belle swore an oath that she didn't know much about Rothwell, but that seems to be another lie. Not only was Rothwell listed as one of The Whole Pantry's co-founders, but he paid for most of Belle's expenses (including her legal fees) and acted as a stepfather to her son, Oliver. At one point they were reportedly engaged. 

In late 2023, The Daily Mail reported that Clive and Belle had finally split in part due to the impending release of the Netflix series and that he had supposedly been seen out and about with another woman. 

Where is Belle Gibson now?

At the end of Apple Cider Vinegar, Dever breaks the fourth wall as Belle and tells viewers they can just Google her if they want to know more about her story. Well, search Google and you'll realize that no one actually knows where Belle is now. The last she was seen in public was in 2020, when ABC Australia reported that she had attended an event for Ethiopia's Oromo community in Melbourne. 

In the video, Belle was wearing a headscarf and going by the name Sabontu. 

Today, the influencer stays out of the public eye. She owes more than $500,000 in fines and her house has been raided twice, but she continues to claim she cannot pay those fines. Meanwhile, it's also been reported that between 2017 and 2019 she spent $91,000 and traveled to Bali and Africa. The latter trip was reportedly fronted by Clive Rothwell. 

Finished watching Apple Cider Vinegar and interested in learning more about the real story? Check out Bad Influencer: The Great Insta Con. Or, if you want to hear about a similar story of a woman who faked cancer, check out the documentary Scamanda.

Apple Cider Vinegar is now streaming on Netflix