The rise and fall of Australian fraudster Belle Gibson is one of the biggest scandals of the wellness world. Rocketing into the spotlight on claims that diet and natural remedies cured her terminal brain cancer, Gibson’s life came crashing down when it came to light that she never actually had brain cancer at all. However, this monumental lie was far from the only skeleton in Gibson’s closet.
Belle was once one of the most followed influencers in Australia, and was one of the first “regular” people (that is, not a celebrity) to amass a monetisable following on social media. Peaking at roughly 300,000 followers, her now-deleted Instagram was the launch pad for a wellness empire. She launched a wellness-based food app, called The Whole Pantry before people were creating apps. It was so successful that when Apple launched its first Apple Watch, The Whole Pantry was one of the few apps preloaded onto the device.
When journalists unravelled her claims, it wasn’t only lies about her health that were uncovered, but fraudulent charity work as well. Now, Netflix is creating a show inspired by Belle’s life, and naturally, there are some big names attached. Here, everything we know about the Apple Cider Vinegar series.
What Is Apple Cider Vinegar’s Release Date, Australia?
If you’re like us, you’ll want to pen the release of this one into your calendar. Apple Cider Vinegar will be released in Australia on February 6, 2025. There will also be a global premiere in Australia on February 3, where the series’ stylish stars will walk a red carpet. (Stay tuned for photos!)
What Is Apple Cider Vinegar About?
Apple Cider Vinegar is a six-part fictional series that follows two women as they try to cure their life-threatening illnesses through wellness and food. According to Netflix, “the six-episode limited series serves as a cultural interrogation of the times, exploring the birth of Instagram; the allure and rise of wellness culture; peak girl boss start-up culture; and the age of innocence on social media with very few checks and balances in place”.
“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,” explains the show’s creator, award-winning Australian writer Samantha Strauss (Nine Perfect Strangers, The End, Dance Academy).
Is Apple Cider Vinegar A True Story?
The series is based on the true story of Belle Gibson’s life, or more specifically, it was inspired by the book The Woman Who Fooled the World by Australian journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano. It was Donelly and Toscano who originally broke the story that unravelled all of Belle’s claims. Read more about Belle Gibson’s real life.
Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar Cast
According to Netflix, though the story is based on the true life story of Belle Gibson and the main character is named Belle Gibson, many of the characters have been fictionalised.
Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson
The Booksmart actor plays Belle Gibson in this series. We know what you’re thinking and no, she isn’t Australian, but she did work very closely with a dialect coach to nail the Australian accent.
Alycia Debnam-Carey as Milla Blake
Alycia Debnam-Carey is an Australian actor who you may recognise from The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and Fear the Walking Dead. She plays Milla Blake, a woman who builds a platform promoting the power of food to fight cancer.
Aisha Dee as Chanelle
Aisha Dee, of The Bold Type and Safe Home, plays Milla’s close friend Chanelle, who meets Belle at an event and starts working with her to build her business into the empire it becomes.
Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Lucy
Tilda Cobham-Hervey previously starred in The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and I Am Woman. She joins the Apple Cider Vinegar cast as Lucy, a woman who is diagnosed with cancer and is attracted to the promises both Milla and Belle make online.
Mark Coles Smith as Lucy’s Husband
As Lucy’s husband, Mark Coles Smith’s (Mystery Road: Origin) character expresses concern over the impact Milla and Belle’s damaging ideas are having on his wife and her health.
Ensemble Cast
- Ashley Zukerman (Succession)
- Susie Porter (Irreverent, Wentworth)
- Matt Nable (Transfusion, Last King of the Cross)
- Phoenix Raei (The Night Agent)
- Chai Hansen (Night Sky, The New Legends of Monkey)
- Richard Davies (Offspring)
- Essie Davis (The Babadook, Game of Thrones)
- Kieran Darcy-Smith (Mr Inbetween)
- Catherine McClements (Total Control)
Where Was Apple Cider Vinegar Filmed?
Apple Cider Vinegar was filmed on location in Melbourne, Australia — the same city where Belle Gibson lived, and continues to live.
Apple Cider Vinegar First Trailer
The first teaser trailer for Apple Cider Vinegar was released last year. Now, we have a new full length trailer to pore over. Want to know what you’re in for? Here you go…
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