Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar has become the latest viral sensation, sparking discussions across social media. The limited series, described as a “true-ish story,” is based on the rise and fall of Belle Gibson—a wellness influencer who built an empire on false claims that she had cured her terminal brain cancer through diet and holistic remedies.
Gibson gained fame in the 2010s by sharing her supposed journey to recovery, amassing a huge following and launching The Whole Pantry, a wellness app. However, suspicions grew when an Australian newspaper began investigating her claims, eventually exposing her cancer diagnosis as a complete fabrication.
The Netflix series stays true to the core events but takes creative liberties, including changing the name of Gibson’s close friend who played a key role in uncovering the truth. The show also adds a dramatic, exaggerated spin to the scandal for entertainment purposes.
Journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano were instrumental in debunking Gibson’s fraud, revealing that she had never donated the proceeds from her businesses to charity as she had claimed. When confronted in a 2015 interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Gibson admitted to lying but shifted blame onto medical professionals, saying she was misled.
Her family also distanced themselves from her, with her estranged mother telling Women’s Weekly in 2015, “I can’t tell you how embarrassed we are about what she has done.”
With its mix of investigative drama and cultural critique, Apple Cider Vinegar is making waves as audiences revisit one of the most shocking influencer scandals of the past decade.