Everyone is captivated by the missing Belle Gibson
She invented cancer and disappeared
In the past few days, I have embarked on a true internet quest and am scouring Instagram. This has everything to do with the new Netflix drama ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’. Believe me, you want to know everything about this. This bizarre series tells the story of Australian influencer Belle Gibson. She becomes a global inspiration by sharing online how she managed to overcome cancer through healthy eating and holistic treatments. The only problem: Belle's story is one big lie.
Apple Cider Vinegar
It's 2009 when Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever) first posts online that she has had a terminal brain tumor. The doctors gave her four months to live, and she underwent chemotherapy. When that didn't seem to work, Belle decided to take matters into her own hands. By focusing on a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition, she managed to ‘heal’ herself. In 2013, she switched to an Instagram account, and soon her posts received a lot of attention; she was seen as a source of inspiration. Belle decided to take it bigger and launched an app full of tips and healthy recipes: ‘The Whole Pantry’. This also became a big hit, and she got to collaborate with Apple. A year after the launch, a book with the same name was also released. There seemed to be no clouds in the sky, but when Belle promised to donate a large part of her income to charities, the first big question marks arose. Two journalists dove into the case and discovered that the donations were never made. If she lies about this, what is actually true? Belle does everything to disprove the newspaper reports, but it is already too late. More and more details about her story come to light, and it slowly becomes clear: Belle has been lying to everyone for years.
A broader story
The creators of the series wanted to tell not only Belle's story but also show the bigger picture. Why did she do all this, and who were her ‘victims’? One detail is important here: the series is based on a true story, but some events and characters are invented or adapted, and some names have been changed. In addition to Belle, three other women are central. One of them is Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), who also has an online platform and shares her own experiences with cancer and holistic treatments. She was both a competitor and a source of inspiration for Belle, although their ‘bond’ became increasingly hostile. Milla's story is loosely based on that of Jessica Ainscough, a wellness entrepreneur who shared her own illness online. Unlike in the series, she and Belle only met briefly once.
A completely fictional character with an important message is Lucy Guthrie (Tilda Cobham-Hervey). She has breast cancer and draws a lot of support and inspiration from Belle's posts. She wants to pause her own treatments to try alternative methods. Lucy symbolizes the many followers of the influencer who, at the risk of their health, fully trusted her. Lastly, we also follow Chanelle (Aisha Dee), a good friend of Milla who works as a manager for Belle. She is one of the first to truly doubt the story, and thanks to her, the journalists begin their search for the truth. Her character is likely based on two people: Jessica Ainscough's manager, who found her 'bond' with Belle rather vague, and Chanelle McAuliffe, a good friend of Belle who also helped reveal her true story. All characters make clear how vast the web of lies was and how many people were affected. influencer Where is Belle Gibson now?.
The revelation of all of Belle's lies marked the end of her social media empire. Apple removed 'The Whole Pantry' from the App Store, her book was pulled from the shelves in Australia, and the launch in the US was canceled. After an investigation, it was determined that Belle had violated the Australian Consumer Law Act by spreading false information about her illness and the donations; she received a fine of over four hundred thousand dollars. When she failed to pay this, the court threatened to seize her assets or even impose a prison sentence. Belle appeared in court and claimed she could not pay the money. The police searched her home twice and took various items to collect the money. Aside from her trial, Belle has lived outside the spotlight since her downfall. In 2020, a video surfaced in which she claimed to be a member of an Ethiopian Oromo community in Melbourne. But, perhaps not surprisingly, that also turned out to be untrue; according to the leader, she had nothing to do with the group and was allowed to keep it that way. In 2023, her relationship with her partner Clive Rothwell, with whom she was also during all her lies, ended. Whether she has a new partner now and what she is further involved in is unknown; Belle has completely left social media behind.
In six episodes, you see the rise and fall of Belle's empire and how she becomes increasingly trapped in her own story. It’s that the creators repeat it regularly; otherwise, you wouldn't believe that this really happened. The story and the series are that bizarre. And the five stars from AD and NRC show that this is truly worth watching. ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ is now available on Netflix.
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Image: Netflix
