Netflix’s "Apple Cider Vinegar" tells the story of an Australian woman who fakes brain cancer and builds a massive wellness empire. Here’s what Belle Gibson did and how she was caught.

Apple Cider Vinegar is based on the true story of Belle Gibson, a social media influencer who rose to fame by falsely claiming she had terminal brain cancer. She operated under the handle @Healing_Belle, where she amassed hundreds of thousands of followers by chronicling her story, which initially seemed both tragic and inspiring.

Throughout Apple Cider Vinegar, journalists are investigating Belle. One of them, a journalist named Justin (Mark Coles Smith), learns about Belle from his partner Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), who takes solace in Belle's feed while she’s undergoing breast cancer treatment—and even decides to pause it altogether and try alternative remedies.

The is billed as a “true-ish story based on a lie" and is inspired by a 2017 book, “The Woman Who Fooled the World,” by two investigative journalists, Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, who explored Gibson’s deception.

Netflix’s long-awaited six-episode crime drama Apple Cider Vinegar finally arrived on February 6, 2025. Starring Kaitlyn Dever and Alycia Debnam-Carey, the series follows Belle Gibson and best friend Milla Blake,

In “Apple Cider Vinegar,” a new Netflix series released on Thursday, Kaitlyn Dever plays Belle Gibson, a real Australian woman who perpetuated a scam about overcoming terminal brain cancer through healthy eating.

Is Milla Blake in Netflix's "Apple Cider Vinegar" real? Here’s how her character connects to Belle Gibson, the infamous Australian influencer who faked brain cancer.