The true story of Belle Gibson, the influencer who faked cancer and the inspiration behind Netflix’s ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’

She was a social media sensation, hailed as a “fun, fearless” wellness guru who claimed to have beaten terminal brain cancer through the power of health and wellness. Belle Gibson’s story was one of hope, resilience, and the power of alternative healing — until it wasn’t.

Her rise to fame was meteoric, fuelled by a best-selling cookbook, a wildly popular wellness app, and even a partnership with tech giants like Apple. But beneath Gibson’s inspirational success story was a lie so audacious, that it earned her the title of “Instagram’s worst con artist.”

Now, Netflix has released a miniseries called ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ that takes us back into the heart of her rise and fall. In a description of the six-episode show, it’s summed up as “a true-ish story based on a lie”.

But who is Belle Gibson, really? How did she go from one of the most loved to one of the “most hated people in Australia”? Here’s a deeper look at her true story.

Casting the die

Belle Gibson was born in Tasmania in October 1991. She grew up in a modest Brisbane suburb with her older brother, Nick, and their mother, Natalie.

In the introduction to her now-pulled cookbook The Whole Pantry, Gibson painted a picture of a difficult childhood, describing it as a “dysfunctional home” where “I never knew my dad, and grew up with my mum, who had multiple sclerosis, and my brother, who is autistic."

According to Gibson, she was forced to take on the role of primary caregiver from the age of five, doing all the housework and grocery shopping. She also said she left home at 12 to live with a friend and dropped out of school in grade 10.

However, her mother rubbished her claims and told The Australian Women’s Weekly, “She was never happy with what she had and embarrassed by her family.”

In the book, The Woman Who Fooled the World on which Apple Cider Vinegar is based, investigative journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano dug into details of Gibson’s life, revealing that she moved to Perth, Western Australia, in 2009.

There, she worked at a private health insurance company, listening to medical claims. Not long after, Gibson, who was then a teenager, began telling people she too was sick—claiming she had terminal brain cancer.

One of her posts on an online forum read: “I just woke up out of a coma type thing. The doctor comes in and tells me the draining failed and I went into cardiac arrest and died for just under three minutes.”

Building a wellness empire

In 2012, at just 20 years old, Belle Gibson launched her Instagram account, @healing_belle, branding herself as a “game changer with brain cancer + a food obsession.”

Her page became a digital diary, where she chronicled her supposed battle with cancer and her self-healing journey through alternative therapies. Her posts and her message of hope struck a chord with many. Within a year, she had amassed 300,000 devoted followers, hanging onto her every word.

With her growing influence, Gibson saw an opportunity. In April 2013, she officially registered her business name, The Whole Pantry.

She even launched her The Whole Pantry app which offered 50 gluten-free, plant-based vegan recipes, along with a shopping list feature and a conversion tool.

Its success was immediate. It quickly became the No. 1 app in Apple’s Food & Drink category upon release and was later named Apple’s “Best Food and Drink” app of 2013. Her star continued to rise—Elle Australia named her “the most inspiring woman you’ve met this year,” while Cosmopolitan honoured her with their ‘Fun Fearless Female award.’

With fame came wealth. According to the book The Woman Who Fooled the World, Gibson moved into a million-dollar beachside home, drove a BMW, and adorned herself in designer clothing.

Then, in 2014—after claiming her cancer had spread to her blood, spleen, uterus, and liver—she expanded her brand with a 250-page glossy cookbook through Penguin publishing house, also titled The Whole Pantry. By early 2015, her ventures had reportedly generated over $1 million in revenue, a majority of which she claimed went to charity.

A cancer diagnosis that never was

It was only a matter of time before the cracks in Gibson’s story began to show.

Journalists started digging deeper into her story and wild claims—particularly those about her charitable donations. Gibson had repeatedly stated that she was donating a significant portion of her profits to various charities, even claiming that up to 95 per cent of her app’s proceeds were being given away.

But when investigative reporters at The Australian and The Age began looking into these claims, they uncovered something far bigger—Belle Gibson had never had cancer at all.

The expose sent shockwaves through the wellness community. Not only had she fabricated her illness, but she had also failed to follow through on thousands of dollars in promised donations.

Confronted with the truth, Gibson finally admitted to lying in an interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly. Yet, instead of offering an apology, she remained defiant.

“I don’t want forgiveness. I just think [speaking out] was the responsible thing to do. Above anything, I would like people to say, ‘OK, she’s human,’” she said.

But the damage was done. Within weeks, her app was pulled from sale, her American book launch was cancelled, and both Penguin and Apple severed ties with her.

She was even fined $410,000 AUD for misleading conduct regarding her health and charitable donations by a Melbourne federal court in 2016. However, reports claim that she is yet to pay a cent.

Her disastrous 60 Minutes Australia interview, went viral for all the wrong reasons and made her downfall imminent. Facing mounting public outrage, Gibson deleted her social media accounts, scrubbed her online presence, and faded into obscurity.

Where is Belle Gibson now?

Belle Gibson has largely stayed out of the spotlight in recent years.

In 2017, she was reportedly living in a Melbourne suburb where neighbours refused to speak to her, and former friends would cross the street to avoid her. By then, her family had also distanced themselves, claiming they were completely estranged from her.

Then, in 2020, she resurfaced in a bizarre video, identifying herself as an adopted member of Melbourne’s Oromo community. She went by the name Sabontu and referred to Ethiopia as her home.

Beyond that, Gibson has remained elusive, fading further into obscurity as the world moved on from her deception.

With input from agencies