- The series is based on the “true-ish” story of fraudulent influencer Belle Gibson
- We also meet her frenemy and fellow influencer Milla Blake
- The character is played by Alycia Debnam-Carey
Netflix’s new limited series Apple Cider Vinegar might be based on real events, but not all of it is totally true to life.
Indeed, the series comes with a disclaimer that the story is simply “true-ish” yet “based on a lie”. It centers on the rise and fall of Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever), the Australian wellness influencer who claimed she was fighting her brain cancer with a healthy diet and natural remedies. However, it later came to light that she’d never had cancer at all.
Read more: Apple Cider Vinegar: the Netflix miniseries truth
Along the way, we see her interact with another wellness influencer, Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey). The crucial difference between them is that Milla’s cancer is real.
Fans of the show have wondered if Milla is a real person – but is that the case?
Is Milla Blake fictional or real?
Milla Blake is a fictional character but is believed to have been based on another real life person.
Read more: Who is in the Apple Cider Vinegar cast?
“I’d say Milla is a portrait of influencers at the time,” creator Samantha Strauss told Netflix’s Tudum. “She’s someone who is desperately trying to save her own life and becomes blind to the truth because of it.”
Blake was not a real person but her character was believed to be, at least in part, loosely based on the influencer Jessica Ainscough.
She became a wellness entrepreneur, known as ‘The Wellness Warrior’. after receiving a sarcoma diagnosis aged 22. She attempted to treat her illness using Gerson therapy, which involves a mostly vegetarian diet, juicing, supplements and coffee enemas.
However, it’s not scientifically proven and Ainscough died seven years after her diagnosis.
Gerson therapy is not specifically referenced in the series but Milla follows a health plan set by the fictional Hirsch institute.
What about Belle’s story?
Gibson ran the blog The Whole Pantry, claiming a mix of diet, exercise and alternative medicines were able to treat her brain cancer in lieu of chemotherapy. Her Instagram amassed 300,000 followers, along with her popular blog.
Read more: Apple Cider Vinegar on Netflix: All we know so far
Some suggested that she had Münchausen syndrome, a condition that leads people to fake illnesses to get attention.
In 2015, Gibson’s lie about having cancer was made public.
Gibson went on record to The Australian Women’s Weekly to say “none of it was true” that same year.
She continued, “I don’t want forgiveness… I just think [speaking out] was the responsible thing to do. Above anything, I would like people to say, ‘Okay, she’s human. She’s obviously had a big life. She’s respectfully come to the table and said what she’s needed to say, and now it’s time for her to grow and heal.’”
