Is Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar based on a true story? Explained

Netflix has released the first look at the trailer for its upcoming drama series, Apple Cider Vinegar this week. Based on the true story of Belle Gibson, the show explores the rise and fall of her fabricated wellness empire. The teaser described the show as a "true-ish story, based on a lie."

The series features Unbelievable and Dopesick fame Kaitlyn Dever in the leading role. Alycia Debnam-Carey (Fear the Walking Dead), and Aisha Dee (The Bold Type) also play prominent characters. Filming began in late 2023, and the release is expected on Netflix in 2025.

Read along to learn more about the truth behind Apple Cider Vinegar.

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What is the real story behind Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar?

Belle Gibson was an Australian wellness influencer who rose to fame in 2013 with claims to have cured her terminal brain cancer through diet and natural remedies. By posting on Instagram about her methods and alternative approaches, Gibson gained a significant social media following.

She further launched an app called The Whole Pantry and published a book of the same name with Lantern Books, an imprint of Penguin Books. She got multiple brand deals and partnerships with major brands like Apple, which decided to make her app a default third-party app on Apple watches in Australia.

Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson (Image via Netflix)

Throughout her career, Gibson claimed to be actively involved in multiple charities, donating over $300,000. However, when media investigations started examining the truth of her claims, more and more of her fraudulent activities came to light.

In 2015, investigative journalists uncovered that Gibson had fabricated her cancer diagnosis and recovery story as there was no medical evidence that she had ever been diagnosed with cancer.

Most of her charitable claims also turned out to be false, and multiple organizations came forward to state that she never made the donations to them as she claimed.

Gibson eventually publicly accepted that she was never diagnosed with cancer. In 2017, the Australian Federal Court fined her $410,000 for misleading consumers and violating consumer laws. As of recent reports, she has not fully paid the fines.

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Apple Cider Vinegar: The details we know so far

Still from the show (Image via Netflix)

Apple Cider Vinegar is inspired by the book The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano. The writers of the show are Samantha Strauss (The End, Nine Perfect Strangers, Dance Academy), Anya Beyersdorf (The Twelve, Fake), and Angela Betzien (Total Control).

Strauss, who is also the creator of the show, in a statement to Tudum by Netflix talks about the meaning behind the show's title. She says,

“[With the title,] I wanted something that would capture this idea of hope in a bottle and that could be a bigger umbrella than something that would relate only to Belle.”

The synopsis for the six-episode limited series reads,

"Set at the birth of Instagram, Apple Cider Vinegar follows two young women who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online communities along the way. All of which would be incredibly inspiring if it were all true."

It continues,

"This is a true-ish story based on a lie, about the rise and fall of a wellness empire; the culture that built it up and the people who tore it down."

The director of Apple Cider Vinegar is Jeffrey Walker, and the producer is Yvonne Collins. See-Saw Films’ Libby Sharpe is the co-producer and Jeffrey Walker and Simon Gillis are co-executive producers. The show was shot in Melbourne, Australia.

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Stay tuned for more updates on Apple Cider Vinegar.