Apple Cider Vinegar: the Netflix series inspired by a scam

Netflix hits hard with “Apple Cider Vinegar”. This mini-series is based on the true story of Belle Gibson. An Australian influencer who manipulated thousands of people by claiming to cure cancer using natural methods.

Since February 6, Netflix has been offering Apple Cider Vinegar. The miniseries is based on the book The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano. The adaptation follows the scandal surrounding Belle Gibson. An Australian blogger who faked her brain cancer to gain popularity and profits.

Belle Gibson: the hustler with millions of subscribers

In 2009, Belle Gibson announced on social networks that she had terminal brain cancer. She then claimed to have survived thanks to a healthy diet and alternative treatments. She quickly gained notoriety and released a paid app, The Whole Party, featuring her miracle recipes. With 20,000 downloads in her first month, she won over a wide audience and was even invited to Silicon Valley for the launch of the Apple Watch, where her app was integrated. A cookbook followed, further reinforcing her image as an inspiring survivor.

The fall of a well-worn lie

The scheme came to an end in 2015, when journalist Richard Guilliat investigated and discovered that Belle Gibson had never been ill. Faced with the overwhelming evidence, she confesses in Weekly: “None of this is true.” The case took on judicial proportions, and in 2017 the young woman was sentenced to pay 410,000 Australian dollars for fraud.

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