Clive Rothwell is played by Ashley Zukerman (Image: NETFLIX)
The limited series Apple Cider Vinegar, now available on Netflix, recounts the true tale of Australian fraudster Belle Gibson, portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever. Belle amassed a large online following after falsely claiming to have a brain tumour and asserting that she used holistic treatments to ‘cure’ herself.
She established The Whole Pantry mobile app and penned a subsequent book filled with recipes and advice, purporting to assist those with terminal illnesses. To further deceive the public, she lied about donating a significant portion of her earnings to various charities.
In the series, Belle encounters IT consultant Clive Rothwell (Ashley Zukerman) just before launching The Whole Pantry and seeks his assistance with the technical aspects of website creation. Clive, being kind-hearted, was immediately smitten with Belle, but she betrayed his trust.
He became a father figure to her son and assisted her in officially registering her brand, but it didn’t take long for him to become suspicious. After numerous discussions with Belle’s mother, Clive realised that Belle was not telling the truth.
However, out of love for her, he never exposed her and chose to stand by her side, supporting both Belle and her son. Here’s what happened to the real Clive.
Clive, Belle and Belle’s son in the Netflix series (Image: NETFLIX)
In 2023, it was revealed that Clive, who was significantly older than Belle, had been spotted with another woman. Belle had previously co-rented a property with Clive, who served as a stepfather to her son.
Clive covered most of the rent for their shared home and even funded a month-long trip to Africa in 2019 for Belle and her son.
However, according to Daily Mail Australia, Clive has since relocated to a new two-bedroom flat on another side of town and was spotted with another woman, with Belle nowhere to be seen.
In 2019, when Belle appeared in court, she claimed to know little about Clive and his profession. Yet, investigative reports suggested otherwise, stating that Clive had been covering all her legal costs.
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Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson (Image: NETFLIX)
During the hearing, Belle admitted in a letter to the Department of Justice that she owed Clive $90,000, but professed to “not know” what the money was for.
She consistently referred to Clive as a “friend”, despite rumours of their engagement.
Apple Cider Vinegar is streaming on