Inside ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’: Netflix’s Buzzworthy ‘True-ish’ Limited Series ‘Based on a Lie’

Netflix viewers on the lookout for something fresh in 2025 are anticipating the upcoming limited series Apple Cider Vinegar. Ahead of the show’s premiere, fans want to know more about the buzzworthy show.

What Is ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ About?

The story is loosely based on Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness guru who founded The Whole Pantry mobile app and wrote a companion cookbook. She was later found to have lied about having several forms of cancer and treating them through natural remedies.

“This is a true-ish story based on a lie, about the rise and fall of a wellness empire; the culture that built it up and the people who tore it down,” Netflix’s official summary read.

“I was diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumor. That was four years ago,” Belle’s character explains to what appears to be a psychiatrist in the teaser trailer that dropped on November 18, 2024.

“I was on a quest to heal myself naturally. I’ve learned to seek out what’s raw and honest” she tells an audience at a benefit, as healthy vegetables and meals flash across the screen along with her Whole Pantry app.

“We’ve built a beautiful community together,” Belle continues, as her “Healing Belle” social media page racks up followers.

The teaser ends with the doctor asking Belle, “Start from when you first lied about having brain cancer.”

Is ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ Based on a True Story?

Yes, kind of. The series loosely follows the events of Belle’s saga, although there will be other characters thrown into the mix.

In addition to Belle, the show will feature “four women’s overlapping experiences with wellness and the rise of the social media influencer,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Set at the birth of Instagram, Apple Cider Vinegar follows two young women who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online communities along the way. All of which would be incredibly inspiring if it were all true,” Netflix explained in their summary.

The series was shot on-location in Melbourne, Australia, where Belle launched her app and business.

Who Is Belle Gibson?

Belle was born in Tasmania, Australia, later relocating to Melbourne in 2009. She became a mom the following year at the age of 18.

Belle started a career as a wellness blogger, launching The Whole Pantry app in 2013. It became a sensation, featuring recipes and lifestyle advice. The app was voted Apple’s Best Food and Drink App of 2013 and was one of the first apps featured on Apple Watch.

A year later, Belle signed a book deal that saw the release of her cookbook, featuring The Whole Pantry app recipes.

At the time, Belle claimed to have suffered from several forms of cancer, which she said she was able to cure from her lifestyle and food advice featured on her app.

In 2015, both medical experts and friends of Belle began casting doubt about her cancer claims and the story took off like wildfire. Belle admitted to the newspaper The Australian that she may have been “misdiagnosed” with the disease, adding, “It’s hard to admit that maybe you were wrong.”

Belle was found guilty of five breaches of consumer law in March 2017, and ordered to pay a $322,000 fine.

Who Stars in ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’?

Kaitlyn Dever – best known to audiences for her role in Hulu’s Dopesick and well as the films Ticket to Paradise and Booksmart – plays Belle. The other three leads are actresses Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Alycia Debnam-Carey and Aisha Dee.

When Does ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ Premiere?

The 6 episode limited series will drop on Netflix in early 2025.