Understanding the Belle Gibson Cancer Fraud Surrounding Apple Cider Vinegar: Key Facts You Should Know

Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar tells the astonishing story of wellness influencer Belle Gibson, who deceived the public about having cancer.

The limited series, debuting on February 6, features Kaitlyn Dever in the role of Gibson, a figure who built a media empire off her false claims of battling cancer in her liver, blood, and kidneys. After the launch of her mobile app, The Whole Pantry, and a companion book around 2013, Gibson faced scrutiny when discrepancies in her narrative were brought to light by her fans.

In 2015, Gibson admitted to fabricating her cancer diagnosis, stating, “No. None of it’s true,” during an interview with Australian Women‘s Weekly. “I am still navigating what I believe I know versus what is reality. I have experienced it, yet I am not fully present in that understanding.”

Apple Cider Vinegar also includes Alycia Debnam-Carey portraying a character based on Jessica Ainscough, a fellow blogger who shared her journey with alternative cancer treatments before succumbing to her untreated cancer at age 29 in 2015.

According to creator Samantha Strauss, “What we aimed to achieve with this series is to demonstrate that these issues exist in shades of grey — we wanted to explore the complexities. It’s about depicting the experience of a young woman grappling with profound issues — life and death — while also recognizing the humor that can arise even in the toughest moments,” she shared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in November 2024.

Continue reading for all the details available about Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar so far:

What Is the ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ Synopsis?

According to Netflix, Apple Cider Vinegar is set during the advent of Instagram and “follows two young women who attempt to cure their life-threatening illnesses through wellness practices, impacting their worldwide online communities along the way. It would be inspiring if it were entirely true.”

The show is characterized as a “true-ish story based on a lie, chronicling the rise and demise of a wellness empire—the culture that fostered it and the people who dismantled it.”

Who Else Stars in ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’?

In addition to Dever and Debnam-Carey, the ensemble cast includes Aisha Dee, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Ashley Zukerman, Mark Coles Smith, Susie Porter, Matt Nable, Phoenix Raei, Chai Hansen, Rick Davies, Kieran Darcy-Smith, Catherine McClements, and Essie Davis.

Cobham-Hervey portrays a woman battling cancer who finds encouragement through Belle’s Instagram posts, while Debnam-Carey’s character, Milla, is a young woman who starts a rival wellness initiative after her diagnosis of sarcoma, believing she can conquer her illness with coffee enemas and a juice-centric diet.

Who Inspired the Series?

Based on the book The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, Apple Cider Vinegar delves into Gibson’s meteoric rise and dramatic fall after convincing the public of her cancer struggles and her successful treatment through an all-natural lifestyle.

When Is the Release Date?

The six-part limited series is set to debut on February 6, 2025.

What Did the Trailer Reveal?

In January 2025, Netflix unveiled an official trailer showcasing Gibson’s plan to engage with a prominent blogger who genuinely has cancer. The subsequent rivalry escalates, with Blake’s friend Chanelle (Dee) caught in the conflict as she devises a strategy to expose Gibson’s deceit.

Did the Real Belle Gibson Take Part in ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’?

Gibson has largely retreated from public life in recent years and was not involved in the production of Apple Cider Vinegar.