Movies

‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ tells how Belle Gibson went from revered influencer to reviled scammer

BBG News

Initially, on Instagram, an Australian mother named Belle Gibson swiftly gained immense popularity among users, standing out as one of the top wellness influencers. Thousands were captivated by her account, inspired by her tale of battling malignant brain cancer through a nutritious lifestyle and alternative healing methods.

In 2009, when she was told she had only four months left to live after being diagnosed, Gibson opted against chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Instead, she embarked on a personal journey towards healing using natural methods such as proper nutrition, perseverance, determination, and love. This inspiring story garnered a massive following on social media, which Gibson utilized to launch a successful lifestyle app called the Whole Pantry, forge a partnership with Apple, and secure a book deal with Penguin.

It turned out that Gibson’s claim of having cancer was false, and it was eventually revealed that she had also lied about numerous other things, such as her age (she was actually three years younger than she claimed) and her charitable contributions (she hadn’t given any money to the charities until reporters started asking). As a result, Gibson’s reputation suffered greatly in 2015, going from being admired by the media and respected as a successful entrepreneur to becoming a national outcast – much like the Australian equivalent of Elizabeth Holmes.

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The intriguing tale that was once in the limelight is now featured as “Apple Cider Vinegar,” currently streaming on Netflix. This six-episode series is based upon “The Woman Who Fooled the World: The True Story of Fake Wellness Guru Belle Gibson” by Nick Toscano and Beau Donelly, the intrepid journalists who uncovered Gibson’s deception through their work at Australian newspapers The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

Kaitlyn Dever delivers an impressive Australian accent as she portrays Belle, a character who pretends to be a spiritual guide, despite being a conniving and lonely young woman who manipulates people’s emotions with false stories to gain sympathy. However, the story does not solely revolve around Belle; it also explores the lives of Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), a social media influencer promoting cancer-curing vegetable juices and coffee enemas, and Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), a patient undergoing harsh cancer treatments who is attracted to Belle and Milla’s supposedly kinder solutions. The series skillfully navigates the fine line between showcasing why alternative therapies can be appealing to patients dissatisfied with conventional medicine, while also exposing how deceitful individuals are ready to take advantage of that desperation for self-interest.

In my perspective as a movie reviewer, I find the appeal of this narrative captivating because it presents itself as more compassionate, simpler, and aesthetically pleasing. However, we’re careful not to oversimplify by stating that medicine is good while wellness is bad, for there are treasures like camaraderie that one might not discover in hospitals.

Cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy can leave patients feeling drained to the core. Consequently, it’s tempting to yearn for an escape, towards the figure promising a more effortless solution: “I’ll mend you in an easier way.” This is my take on Strauss’s sentiments, shared during our conversation from Australia.

The title of the show hints at the concept of a mystical cure found within a bottle, implying an unrealistic belief that one can buy health rather than engaging in the tedious, scientifically-backed practices for wellness, as she points out.

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Similar to numerous people from her native land, Strauss first learned about Gibson approximately when she delivered an unsuccessful and humorously evasive interview on Australia’s “60 Minutes” in 2015. (During the interview, when asked her age, Gibson, adorned in a vibrant pink turtleneck sweater, stated, “I have always been brought up as being currently 26 years old.” In reality, she was only 23.)

At that point, there was much discussion about her pink sweater and how painful it was to observe, according to Strauss. She appeared extremely young and overwhelmed by the situation, although this doesn’t make it acceptable. What caught my attention was the carelessness of the industry surrounding her – publishers who released her book without verification and the wellness community that elevated her as a golden girl and heroic mother who had triumphed over cancer.

For Dever, the topic hits close to home: her mother passed away recently after a lengthy fight against breast cancer. “I found myself deeply engrossed in the wellness sphere and alternative treatments,” says Dever, discussing this with her co-star Debnam-Carey over Zoom, “as I was searching for additional options for my mom, who was also undergoing conventional treatment.” She discovered there’s a vast amount of information out there that provides a lot of hope.

Apple Cider Vinegar” is the newest addition to a flourishing category of shows focusing on swindlers and fraudsters, particularly women – from “The Dropout” to “Anna Delvey’s Story.” Despite being set over a decade ago in different parts of the world, its topics such as medical charlatanism, manipulated truths, and social media bubbles are strikingly contemporary in 2025.

Strauss points out that the sources of our news and the topics we delve into significantly shape and contaminate our belief systems. He warns about the risks of becoming too tribal, as it often leads us astray from facts.

Apple Cider Vinegar” doesn’t provide a straightforward account of events, instead it weaves an intricate tale by jumbling the sequence of events and altering viewpoints to create a more complex narrative. Each episode starts with a warning label stating that the series is “inspired by true events, but built on a falsehood.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that, similar to how other characters address the camera, there’s a consistent reminder throughout the show: “Belle Gibson did not receive compensation for her story’s retelling.” This seems intentional, as Netflix faced backlash for giving significant funds to Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, for the adaptation of her life into the series “Inventing Anna.

As a passionate cinephile in Australia, I can’t help but notice the intense controversy surrounding Mel Gibson. Recently, I shared my thoughts with a friend whose partner was battling brain cancer. They were dismayed that I was sharing this story, fearing that Belle might gain from it and rise to greater fame. I quickly reassured them, “No, no,” I said, “This isn’t about profit or fame for her.” I felt strongly that the audience needed to know immediately that she wasn’t being compensated for her story. It was essential to me to be transparent about this from the get-go.

Strauss clarifies that since he hasn’t personally met Belle, his understanding of her character comes from what journalists wrote in the book and his own research. He then admits to creating an imagined version of Belle, adding humorously that if the real Belle were to call him up, she would likely correct any misconceptions or mistakes he might have made about her.

The show doesn’t offer excuses for Gibson’s actions or pin them down to one reason; rather, it portrays her as an individual with a deep hunger for validation that was amplified by social media. According to Strauss, “It seems to me that the constant desire to be validated and the urge to disprove others are likely her fundamental motivations.

Similar to the genuine Gibson, the television character Belle was raised in the gritty outskirts of Brisbane, and as a teen with dark hair who embraced the goth subculture, she found herself engaging on skateboarding forums, where she initially began weaving yarns about her health to draw attention. The portrayed Belle sees illness as a way to gain affection and escape responsibilities. As Strauss explains, “Being sick provides an easy route to being loved and avoiding harsh treatment. When you’re ill, people can’t be cruel to you.

In her bid for internet notoriety, Bella takes inspiration from Milla, an up-and-coming social media personality. Rather than following her doctors’ advice to amputate her arm as a cancer treatment, Milla opts for a drastic diet change, focusing mainly on juice. While Milla’s actions are puzzling, her anger towards the dismissive medical community is relatable.

In her own words, Debnam-Carey expresses that the traditional healthcare system often comes across as cold and detached, despite its remarkable capabilities. Though it’s tough to empathize with Milla’s choice to disregard medical advice, it stirs up feelings of understanding for such a decision and her quest for other solutions.

Milla is a character combining different elements, yet her narrative shares some resemblance to that of Jessica Ainscough, who self-identified as a “wellness warrior.” Diagnosed with a rare cancer in her 20s, she opted for alternative treatments such as Gerson therapy – a diet plan involving frequent consumption of fresh vegetable juice. Tragically, the cancer metastasized, and she passed away in 2015 at the age of 29. It’s noted in “The Woman Who Fooled the World” that Milla was intriguingly fascinated with Ainscough, even attending her funeral service.

For Milla’s character, Strauss studied orthorexia, a fixation over healthy eating that borders on an eating disorder, and further explored the background of wellness retreats akin to the one Milla attends in Mexico.

Following the controversy surrounding “Apple Cider Vinegar,” both Gibson’s app and book were withdrawn from circulation. However, there is no further information provided about Gibson’s fate after the scandal. Instead, Belle’s character suggests viewers look up the details themselves. A search in 2017 revealed that a court ordered Gibson to pay a fine of $410,000 for her false claims. As of 2021, it appears she has not paid these fines, and authorities have begun seizing her assets. In 2020, Gibson made a brief reappearance, claiming to have been adopted by Melbourne’s Ethiopian community. Unfortunately, this claim was later found to be untrue.

Netflix is set to bring Gibson back into the international limelight shortly. However, don’t anticipate her receiving star treatment, according to Strauss. “I don’t believe she’ll participate in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in Australia following this event.

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2025-02-06 14:37

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