Does Milla die in Apple Cider Vinegar? Character’s fate explored

Apple Cider Vinegar is a Netflix true crime drama based on real events. It follows Belle Gibson, an Australian influencer who claimed she had cured her terminal brain cancer using alternative treatments. The series is inspired by The Woman Who Fooled the World, a book by journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano. Their investigation revealed that Gibson’s wellness business was based on false claims, including promises of charitable donations that never happened.

Milla Blake, played by Alycia Debnam-Carey, is another central character in Apple Cider Vinegar. She is a journalist living in Sydney. When doctors diagnose her with pleomorphic sarcoma, they recommend amputation to stop the cancer from spreading. Milla refuses and chooses alternative wellness treatments instead. At first, she seems to be improving. She gains recognition and builds a following. But over time, her condition worsens, leading to serious consequences.

By episode five, Milla realizes her condition is terminal, but medical treatment is no longer an option. She dies at the end of the fifth episode. Apple Cider Vinegar explores the consequences of misinformation and the dangers of rejecting conventional medicine.

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Milla Blake’s story in Apple Cider Vinegar is tragic due to her choice of alternative medicine over conventional cancer treatment

A still from the Apple Cider Vinegar series (Image via Netflix)

Milla Blake, played by Alycia Debnam-Carey, is a journalist in Sydney. At the start of Apple Cider Vinegar, she is focused on her career and adjusting to life in the city. Her plans change when doctors diagnose her with pleomorphic sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. They recommend amputation to stop the disease from spreading. Milla refuses. Instead, she turns to alternative wellness treatments like strict diets, juicing, and coffee enemas.

At first, her approach seems to work. She gains recognition as a wellness influencer and builds a following. In episode three, her mother, Tamara (Susie Porter), is also diagnosed with cancer. She follows Milla’s lead, choosing alternative treatments instead of conventional medical care. In episode four, Tamara passes away. Her death reinforces the risks of rejecting proven medical treatments.

Milla’s health worsens in episode five. Five years after her initial diagnosis, she finally decides to pursue conventional treatment, only to be told it is too late. At this stage, her cancer has progressed to an advanced stage, leaving her with only months to live.

The episode features an emotional farewell between Milla and her close friend Chanelle on a beach, marking one of her final on-screen moments. The following episode, which concludes Apple Cider Vinegar, depicts Milla’s funeral, bringing her storyline to an end.

Milla’s character is loosely inspired by Jessica Ainscough, an Australian wellness influencer who similarly rejected amputation after being diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma at 22. Like Milla, Ainscough promoted alternative treatments and documented her journey online.

While the series fictionalizes aspects of her story, the core narrative closely mirrors reality. Ainscough succumbed to cancer in 2015 at the age of 29, years after her mother, who had also chosen alternative medicine, died from the disease,e as per The Sydney Morning Herald November 10, 2017.

The series accurately portrays Belle Gibson attending Milla Blake’s funeral, mirroring a real-life event. Despite having little personal connection to Jessica Ainscough, Gibson traveled nearly 1,800 kilometers from Melbourne to Ainscough’s memorial on the Sunshine Coast. Her presence surprised many attendees, particularly Ainscough’s close friends, who were gathered outside the venue, as per The Sydney Morning Herald.

By portraying Milla’s arc, Apple Cider Vinegar highlights the consequences of misinformation in health decisions, demonstrating the risks of rejecting proven medical treatments.

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