There's a new Netflix show in town. 'Apple Cider Vinegar' is the number one series in New Zealand right now, and in the top three globally - but what is it actually about?
It's a twisted tale based on the real, devastating actions of an Australian woman called Belle Gibson, who scammed her way into success, devastated countless victims and spread dangerous lies by pretending she had terminal brain cancer.
The real-life events, which kicked off some 20 years ago, are so unhinged, they're the kind of thing you can't make up - but that suits a dramatic Netflix special perfectly.
What to know before binge-watching 'Apple Cider Vinegar':
Who is Belle Gibson and how did she get famous?
Aussie influencer and scammer Belle Gibson started sharing posts online claiming to have brain cancer when she was in her early teens, way back in 2005. She ended up getting pregnant at 19 where she continued to lie about her health on forums aimed at mums-to-be.
A few years later, she started an Instagram account called 'Healing Belle', where she claimed to be curing her terminal brain cancer with whole foods, organic juices, enemas and alternative therapies.
She was praised for her 'inspirational' bravery in sharing her 'warrior journey', and quickly gained a huge following and a lot of attention.
How did Belle Gibson get caught for lying about having cancer?
Belle started monetising her influence in a way that's more familiar to us these days, but was pretty ground-breaking at the time.
She created a wellness app called The Whole Pantry, which was so slick it got picked up by Apple and developed to be integrated into their new smartwatch.
There was also a book deal and more success, but never any evidence of Belle having cancer. When she started claiming she was donating huge sums of money to cancer, the journalists who had been tipped off by a friend of hers were able to go after her and start asking the hard questions.
Eventually, in 2017, she was found guilty of misleading and deceptive conduct and was fined over $400,000 by Australia's federal court, which she STILL has not paid.
What happened in Belle Gibson's famous '60 Minutes' interview in 2015?
A couple of years before she was charged, off the back of an expose in the Sydney Morning Herald, Belle gave a shocking interview to '60 Minutes' where she refused to answer basic questions, including how old she was.
She did not accept the accusations of being a "pathological liar", but would not provide the production crew with any medical records to back up her claims.
Netflix recreated the now-infamous interview for the series, and the comparison is pretty wild:
What's the new documentary about Belle Gibson?
The real life journalist from the interview, Tara Brown has shared more about her conversation with Belle, including never before seen footage, in a new doco called 'Dangerous Lies: Unmasking Belle Gibson'.
The documentary also features Kate Thomas, a cancer survivor who fell into Belle's web of misinformation and almost died as a result.
Is the real Belle Gibson profiting off Netflix's 'Apple Cider Vinegar'?
The show bills itself as a 'true-ish story, based on a lie', which is part of a disclaimer at the start of the episodes. Writer and creator Samantha Strauss said she wanted viewers to know the real Belle Gibson isn't getting paid for the series. Regardless, a former friend of Belle's (who helped expose her) called out Netflix for profiting off the people and charities impacted, and not funnelling any money back to the victims.
The series has also come under fire for fictionalising characters and storylines in a way that some who were involved in the real events found to be an unnecessary distortion of an already unbelievable story.
However you feel about it, it's a wild ride to go along for - I'll see you at the bottom of the rabbit hole after I've smashed the whole season.
