Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar: Everything we know so far

Apple Cider Vinegar is an upcoming Netflix series starring Kaitlyn Dever. It's based on the true story of the Australian fake wellness guru Belle Gibson, who falsely claimed to be a cancer survivor and promoted alternative medical remedies through her app known as The Whole Pantry.

Belle Gibson promoted herself as a nutrition expert and claimed to be a philanthropist who donated a portion of her income to charity. A March 2015 investigation by The Australian discovered many contradictions and inconsistencies in Belle's accounts of her cancer.

Another March 2015 report from The Sydney Morning Herald questioned the authenticity of her claims of philanthropy.

Belle Gibson would eventually face legal consequences for her fraudulent behavior when she was sued by Consumer Affairs Victoria. Her story would later be publicized in The Woman Who Fooled The World, written by journalists Beau Donnelly and Nick Toscano. Apple Cider Vinegar is an adaptation of this book.

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Apple Cider Vinegar tells the story of an Australian fraudster

Apple Cider Vinegar was created by Australian filmmaker Samantha Strauss, who was living in Melbourne while the real Belle Gibson was at the height of her success. Samantha first discovered Belle Gibson when reading a report from Beau Donnelly and Nick Toscano for The Age.

The story serves as an examination of the Instagram age and the way the internet age has facilitated the rise of scammers and fake gurus such as Belle Gibson. She said in a November 19 interview with Netflix's Tudum:

"It’s really interesting to look at how media uses food as a weapon against us and how much we crave the nourishment, but how much of a privilege and how expensive it is to try to be well."

However, Tudum has also clarified that the series is a fictionalized account and doesn't qualify as a straight-up biopic.

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Apple Cider Vinegar cast and characters

The main cast of the series is:

• Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson, an Australian fake guru and wellness influencer who fabricates a story about being a cancer survivor.
• Alycia Debnam-Carey as Milla Blake, another young woman who becomes a wellness influencer and develops a platform hawking dietary solutions to fighting cancer.
• Aisha Dee as Chanelle, a close friend of Milla Blake's who gets involved in Belle Gibson's grift after meeting her at a business event.
• Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Lucy, who's struggling with cancer and becomes roped into Belle and Milla's con game.
• Mark Coles Smith as Lucy's husband, who has a discerning eye and is skeptical of the influence Belle and Milla are having on his wife.

Also starring in the series are Ashley Zuckerman, Susie Porter, Matt Nable, Phoenix Raei, Chai Hansen, Richard Davies, Essie Davies, Kieran Darcy-Smith, and Catherine McClements.

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Apple Cider Vinegar is a Netflix-exclusive series

Apple Cider Vinegar will stream exclusively on Netflix. The release date for the streaming series is currently unknown, but a teaser trailer for the series was released on November 19, 2024.

The series follows in the footsteps of other Netflix original series such as Inventing Anna in showcasing the rise of con artists in the internet age. With the proliferation of scammers that social media is enabled, it is likely such stories will be told for a long time to come.

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Apple Cider Vinegar is set to release on Netflix.