Netflix revisits Belle Gibson’s fake cancer claims and downfall in Apple Cider Vinegar, detailing her $410K fraud scandal.
How Did Belle Gibson Build Her Fraudulent Wellness Empire?
At 23, Belle Gibson spun a web of lies that skyrocketed her to fame: terminal brain cancer cured by kale smoothies and holistic hacks.
The Aussie influencer’s app, The Whole Pantry, raked in $1M monthly by 2014, landed on Apple Watches, and earned her global praise.
Fans devoured her story—single mom surviving against odds. But her recipe? Pure fiction.
What Cracked Gibson’s Cancer Con?
In March 2015, journalists revealed her charity donations ($300k pledged) never materialized.
Worse—top neurosurgeons debunked her “brain tumor.”
Friends confessed doubts. Gibson dodged: “Cash flow issues” delayed gifts. But when pressed, she admitted, “None of it’s true.”
Cookbook claims of “stable cancer” clashed with her social media tales of organs riddled with disease.
Why Did Her Lies Unravel So Fast?
Gibson scrubbed her socials, but receipts piled up. By June 2015, her app vanished, Penguin pulped her cookbook, and Australia fined her $410K for fraud.
“Relentless obsession with herself,” a judge declared. Yet Gibson skipped payments, splurging $90K on designer threads and Bali trips instead. Raids failed; courts labeled her case “abandoned” by 2021.
Where Is Belle Gibson Now?
Off-grid—mostly. In 2020, she resurfaced in a headscarf, claiming Ethiopian tribal adoption (“Sabontu”). The community scoffed.
By 2023, her partner of 11 years, Clive Rothwell, allegedly ditched her for a new flame. Once bankrolling her life, he’s now in a separate flat. Gibson? Still dodging jail, per The Guardian.
Why Does Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar Matter?
The series spotlights how Gibson manipulated empathy for profit—a cautionary tale for the wellness age.
Fans trusted her “cancer survivor” halo; she traded it for fame. As one follower quipped, “She marketed detoxes but forgot to cleanse her lies.”
Quick Facts About Belle Gibson:
1️⃣ Faked terminal cancer to promote her app The Whole Pantry.
2️⃣ Fined $410K in 2017 for breaching Australian consumer laws.
3️⃣ Apple featured her app on its Watch pre-launch in 2014.
4️⃣ Claimed Ethiopian tribal identity post-scandal; rejected by the group.
5️⃣ Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar revisits her rise and fall in 2024.