A new docudrama in the vein of 2022’s Inventing Anna — “a true-ish story based on a lie” — is now streaming on Netflix.
Apple Cider Vinegar stars Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson, a very real person who convinced the world that she had healed her own terminal brain cancer by simply eating a healthy diet. Except she didn’t. Because Gibson never had terminal brain cancer.
In addition to following Gibson, the show also follows another influencer prominent in the wellness space, Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), a stand-in for the real Jessica Ainscough. Ainscough, who went by the nickname “The Wellness Warrior” online, also promoted alternative and natural cancer treatments. Unlike Gibson, Ainscough’s cancer was real, and she died of her untreated cancer in 2015 at the age of 29.
Is Apple Cider Vinegar Based on a Book?
Yes! In addition to generally being based on Gibson and Ainscough’s lives, Apple Cider Vinegar is specifically based on the book The Woman Who Fooled the World by journalists Beau Donnelly and Nick Toscano.
In addition to just telling the story, the book “explores the lure of alternative cancer treatments, the cottage industry flourishing behind the wellness and ‘clean eating’ movements and the power of social media.”
If you want to know more, or if you just want the whole story, you can read The Woman Who Fooled the World now if you take advantage of Audible’s free trial, which gives you one free credit to use on any book in the audiobook platform’s library.
The audiobook of The Woman Who Fooled the World is exclusive to Audible; it is narrated by James Saunders and has a 10-hour run time.
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