Who is Belle Gibson, who inspired Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar? The Australian wellness influencer told followers she had brain cancer and peddled alternative remedies – then her lies were exposed
Gibson built a cult following after claiming she’d cured her brain cancer with alternative remedies – turned out, she’d lied about her illness, charity donations and much more
Gibson, who, as widely reported, lied about being diagnosed with brain cancer and deceived her loyal following by claiming she cured it through non-traditional means, such as holistic medicine, exercise and a so-called healthy diet, is played by American actress Kaitlyn Dever. The series, also inspired by the book The Woman Who Fooled the World, by Australian journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, has sparked renewed interest in the real Gibson, who amassed a fortune through her lies, launched a wellness app, released a cookbook and faked donations to charity before being exposed.
What exactly was the Belle Gibson scandal and what happened when her empire crumbled? Here’s what we know.
When did Belle Gibson admit her lies?
Apple Cider Vinegar ends with a dramatisation of Gibson’s infamous 60 Minutes interview, in which she skirts around the truth – and apparently demands her US$75,000 fee is paid upfront. When confronted about her supposed terminal cancer diagnosis, according to Today, she said she, “lived for years with the fear that [she] was dying” and “believed [she] was having radiation”.
The 60 Minutes scene is rooted in reality, down to her fee for the 2015 interview, per The Guardian. The same year she gave an interview to The Australian Women’s Weekly, admitting her lies. When asked if she had ever been diagnosed with cancer, she replied, “No … none of it’s true.”
The fallout
Gibson’s recipe app, The Whole Pantry, was dropped by Apple in 2015. Penguin cancelled the release of her cookbook of the same name in the US and pulled existing copies from Australian shelves, per Elle. In 2016, Consumer Affairs Victoria filed a civil suit against her for violating Australian consumer law and a year later, she was found guilty of being “misleading or deceptive” and was ordered to pay AU$410,000 (US$258,000) for her “unconscionable conduct”. The amount, which has since grown to more than AU$500,000, remains unpaid. However, according to ABC, she has continued with her lavish lifestyle, spending upwards of US$100,000 on travel, fashion and beauty products from 2017 to 2019.