All the details Apple Cider Vinegar on Netflix made up about the Belle Gibson case

Apple Cider Vinegar on Netflix tells the story of Instagram scammer, Belle Gibson. Right from the outset it’s honest that the show is a depiction of her lies. So given it’s a misty subject as it is, you’re probably wondering which parts of it are real and which aren’t.

Belle Gibson is an Australian influencer, who claimed to have cured terminal brain cancer through alternative therapies and nutrition. Everyone wanted to know her story, so she quickly grew a huge platform. Belle created The Whole Pantry mobile app and its cookbook.

Belle claimed to have been diagnosed with many cancer pathologies, all of which she said she had managed to cure naturally. She put this down to diet, nutrition and natural supplements. She also claimed she had been donating a huge sum of her profits to charities. But, it was all a lie.

However, the vast majority of the Netflix show telling this story is real. Just some slight things have been adjusted. So, here’s a rundown of everything about the Belle Gibson case that appears to have been either made up or changed for Apple Cider Vinegar on Netflix.

Milla is loosely based on someone else

via Netflix

The tragic story of Milla Blake is based on a real person. In the series, Milla Blake is a journalist at Girlfriend, who sadly gets diagnosed with cancer. She’s not real, but her story is.

It seems Milla Blake from Apple Cider Vinegar is based on Jessica Ainscough, the digital editor of Dolly’s Magazine. She was diagnosed with a type of soft tissue cancer called epithelioid sarcoma, when she was in her early 20s.

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According to The Guardian, Jessica also received the same treatment plan as Milla did in Apple Cider Vinegar, with doctors recommending her arm be amputated in order to stop the cancer from spreading.

The Hirsch Institute isn’t real

The Hirsch Institute in Apple Cider Vinegar isn’t real. However, The Gerson Institute is a real company that offers Gerson therapy. The treatment is described as “a natural treatment that activates the body’s extraordinary ability to heal itself through an organic, plant-based diet, raw juices, coffee enemas and natural supplements.”

The character of Lucy isn’t real, but she’s based on plenty of true stories

via Netflix

One of the tragic stories Apple Cider Vinegar follows is of Lucy, who started to follow Belle Gibson. Lucy Guthrie is a cafe owner, who lives a lovely life with her devoted husband, Justin. She’s then diagnosed with breast cancer. Her symptoms get worse and worse, and she struggles with the harshness of chemotherapy treatment.

Lucy Guthrie is not a real person. But, the story of Lucy told in Apple Cider Vinegar was very true for many who followed Belle Gibson. In the show, Lucy is meant to represent one of the many, very real, people who were affected by Belle. Lucy represents the countless people who were conned by the wellness influencer scammer.

A friend of Belle Gibson has shared parts of her story in Apple Cider Vinegar that weren’t real

via Netflix

During the show, we’re introduced to Milla’s best friend, Chanelle. She is based on Chanelle McAuliffe, who helped blow the whistle on what Belle was doing. She has since spoken out about parts of her portrayal that weren’t accurate.

Chanelle didn’t work as Belle’s manager as the show said. In real life, she grew increasingly suspicious of her after knowing Belle for a year – and later tipped off journalists at The Age newspaper in Melbourne. “I wasn’t Belle or Milla’s manager,” she said on TikTok. “I was a close friend of Belle’s and I knew Jess because we grew up in the same town but we weren’t close.”

She added: “What they [Netflix] didn’t show about the night I confronted Belle, is I first went to one of our mutual friends and told him about my suspicions. And then he realised that things didn’t make sense either.

“I did demand to see medical evidence from Belle, which she couldn’t provide. And out of all the desperate things, excuses and lies she was coming up with that night, she then said, ‘okay, I’ll prove to you that I have cancer’.”

Belle’s relationship with Clive wasn’t as strained as it was shown on Netflix

via Netflix

In the same video, Belle’s friend Chanelle said the relationship Belle had with her partner Clive and son were made to appear more strained during the Netflix series. “I never saw Belle be nasty towards Clive,” she said. Chanelle added: “I actually did see them have a loving relationship – unlike what was in the show.”

Apple Cider Vinegar is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.