Netflix’s latest hit Apple Cider Vinegar is a sensationalised version of Aussie Belle Gibson’s story. You know, the woman who faked cancer, made a bunch of money and then was exposed.
Belle was one of Australia’s first wellness influencers, and she claimed that she was able to manage terminal brain cancer using natural medicine, exercise and diet. She created The Whole Pantry app, wrote a cookbook and pretended to make large donations to charity.
Chanelle McAuliffe, the whistleblower who exposed Belle’s lies, is depicted in the show as Chanelle (Aisha Dee). She recently spoke out on Listnr about how “crazy” it was confronting Belle back in 2014.
“I did go there having one per cent of me thinking, oh gosh, what if I have this all wrong? Obviously, nobody wants to question somebody who’s dying of cancer, this young single mother,” she said.
“However, that night, it just confirmed everything.”
Chanelle said she sat Belle down and demanded to see medical reports, records or any oncologist reports to prove Belle had cancer.
“She said that she didn’t keep any of that paperwork because it was a negative energy in her house,” she said. “She had just announced her cancer was stage four. It had just progressed all through her body, her blood, her uterus, her spleen, and this was basically a death sentence.”
When Chanelle asked who had given her the diagnosis, Belle said “Doctor Phil” had picked her up and taken her to be diagnosed at his clinic.
Apple Cider Vinegar whistleblower Chanelle McAuliffe questions Netflix show
There are some key differences between Chanelle and the character played by Aisha Dee. Unlike Apple Cider Vinegar, Chanelle wasn’t Belle’s manager but a close friend, and she didn’t know Jessica Ainscough in real life, who fans believe inspired the Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey) character.
In a TikTok, Chanelle said she had “nothing to do with the Netflix show” and raised some important points.
“I don’t entirely feel comfortable around some of the ethics of this type of storytelling and how the truth has been distorted in the show, and I just really hope that the core important messages about this story isn’t lost through the glamorisation of this show,” she said.
“Remember, there’s been really vulnerable people in real life that have been impacted by this.”
Chanelle has hinted in the comments that she’s going to make some more TikTok videos to reveal what was true and what was changed for the show, which will be interesting to see!
Apple Cider Vinegar is streaming on Netflix.
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