BAD INFLUENCER

INSIDE AUSSIE BELLE GIBSON'S SICK SCAM THAT INSPIRED THE NEW NETFLIX DRAMA

- Emma Levett

The inspiration behind new Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar, Belle Gibson seemed to be an everyday, attractive Aussie gal who was dealt a very bad hand. In 2011, the Melbourne-based 20-something started to make a name for herself online after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer two years earlier. But, unlike other cancer patients who struggle through chemo and other invasive treatments, Gibson started documenting a different journey.

Hers was a tale of natural healing and clean eating – and a lifestyle to match. She sought out holistic medicine and focused on the detoxification properties of fresh produce, such as lemons. After being given just four months to live, she claimed her natural treatments had cured her cancer.

Understandably, Gibson’s message gained traction and she amassed a 300,000-strong Instagram following of people wanting to live healthily and heal themselves.

She used this following to launch an app, The Whole Pantry, in 2013. It went on to be voted Apple’s Best Food and Drink App of the year and Gibson’s and fortune -with a bestselling cookbook, also called The Whole Pantry.