Netflix has released its much-anticipated limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar, which dramatises the rise and fall of Australian wellness influencer Belle Gibson.
The series portrays Gibson’s claim to have cured her terminal brain cancer through clean eating and alternative therapies—a story that helped her gain fame, launch a best-selling app and cookbook, and secure a partnership with Apple.
But there was one major flaw in Gibson’s story: She never had cancer.
On Thursday morning’s episode of The Briefing, we hear from Chanelle McAuliffe—once Belle’s friend who helped expose her. McAuliffe joins us to share what Netflix got right, what it missed, and what it was like to watch the world discover the truth.
Gibson’s tale began in the early 2010s when she shared her journey of healing from terminal cancer with the world, building a huge following along the way.
However, her empire came crashing down in 2015 when a series of exposés revealed that Gibson had fabricated her diagnosis.
By 2017, she had been convicted of fraud, owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
McAuliffe recalled the night when she confronted Gibson, which was also depicted in the series
“I did go there having one per cent of me thinking, gosh, what if I have this all wrong? Like obviously no one wants to question someone who’s basically dying of cancer, this young single mother who’s just adored by so many people,” she said.
“There also is this narrative that Belle was very naive and this kind of snowballed and got away from her and she was in too deep. When I confronted Belle and found out that she was lying, I actually urged her many times to come forward and tell the truth.”
In this exclusive interview, McAuliffe shares her reflections on the saga and the impact it had on her life, including how the truth unraveled and how it felt watching the world discover what Gibson had done.
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on LiSTNR today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.