Netflix is set to launch a limited series that delves into the story of Australian fraudster Belle Gibson, played by Kaitlyn Dever.
Set to premiere on February 6, Apple Cider Vinegar traces the so-called health guru’s ascent to social media stardom. She amassed a significant following after asserting that she had healed herself of a brain tumour using natural remedies and nutrition.
The internet sensation built a wellness empire based on these claims, launching an app named The Whole Pantry, accompanied by a cookbook.
Gibson’s downfall began in 2015 when journalists probed her charity donations. Throughout her career, the blogger ran campaigns purporting to raise funds for charities.
She even informed followers that a portion of her company’s profits were being donated to worthy causes, reports .
Kaitlyn Dever leads the cast as Belle Gibson (Image: Netflix)
However, the investigators discovered that she had not contributed any money to the charities she professed to support. As the star came under increasing scrutiny, it was subsequently revealed that she had also fabricated her cancer diagnosis.
Gibson was later fined $410,000, with the Australian Federal Court finding her in breach of consumer law.
As audiences gear up to watch the upcoming series, here’s what transpired for Gibson following her exposure.
In 2019, Gibson was interrogated by the courts about spending $90,000 between 2017 and 2019, despite asserting she was unable to pay her fines.
Belle Gibson is reportedly yet to settle her fines (Image: Netflix )
ABC reported that the then 27-year-old disputed the figures, telling the Federal Court in Melbourne, “I don’t believe your figure is correct.”
The current status of Gibson’s payment of her court-ordered fines remains ambiguous. Australian outlet News.com.au indicated in February 2024 that she had yet to settle the $140,000 fine.
Regarding her private affairs, Gibson’s relationship status is a mystery. Though there have been rumours of a romantic involvement with Clive Rothwell who appears in the show as a paternal figure to her son, Oliver, they have not confirmed any intimate relationship, with Gibson referring to Rothwell simply as her friend.
However, ABC has revealed that he previously contributed funds towards her legal costs.
In relation to The Whole Pantry, Gibson’s infamous health app vanished from app stores nearly ten years ago. The application was downloaded 300,000 times at a cost of $3.79 per download before Gibson’s deceit was unveiled.
Its success was such that Apple planned to pre-install it on the Apple Watch, but following the scandal, they hastily removed it from the lineup.
Moreover, her cookbook, sharing the app’s title, faced cancellation in the UK just one month after the controversy erupted, with publisher Penguin pulling the plug.