"Every few months, Netflix drops a series that completely takes over my timeline. I sobbed over One Day edits, reposted Bridgerton press junket clips, and fangirled over Nobody Wants This along with everyone else scrolling TikTok. So, when I started seeing interview snippets of Belle Gibson—the basis of Netflix’s new show Apple Cider Vinegar—responding to claims she made up a fake cancer story and built a wellness empire on that lie, I immediately ran to Netflix.
Like the viral Netflix shows before it, Apple Cider Vinegar has ruled my social media feed for days. I mean, how can it not? A true story about an influencer faking cancer and scamming her audience is just the kind of unbelievable true-crime internet tale we live for. But after binge-watching, what shocked me most wasn’t Belle Gibson’s outrageous lies or cruel actions—it was the eerie similarities between Belle and her devoted audience and the wellness industry today. In an era where “wellness influencer” is synonymous with “expert,” and TikToks are treated like scientific studies, Apple Cider Vinegar is a much-needed reminder that the wellness industry is just that: an industry designed to profit.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar about?
Apple Cider Vinegar tells the true story of Australian influencer Belle Gibson, whose Instagram account chronicled her supposed journey of healing brain cancer with alternative medicine. After amassing a large following, Belle launched a successful app, Whole Pantry, which offered recipes claiming to cure cancer while funding her lavish lifestyle. Her advice influenced actual cancer patients to reject traditional treatments like chemotherapy in favor of her unproven holistic methods. But the truth? Belle never had cancer. She lied to grow an audience that trusted her as a credible source for medical advice. The series follows Belle’s rise from obscurity to wellness “expert” to her exposure as a fraud.
The similarities between Apple Cider Vinegar and today’s wellness industry
Going into this series, I expected a wild, heartbreaking story. While I got that, I also left with a pit in my stomach thinking about how the wellness industry exploits consumers today, just like Belle did.
We prioritize influencer advice over medical professionals
The wellness industry is so pervasive that it’s easy to overlook how much we rely on influencers to guide our everyday decisions—whether it’s the supplements we take, the powders we mix into our drinks, or the diets we follow. These posts offer medical advice, yet we often trust creators with no proven medical background to recommend them, just like how Belle’s dedicated followers trusted her with something as serious as cancer treatment. It might seem harmless to try a trend. After all, it’s not like you’re letting a TikTok decide how you face a serious diagnosis, but that’s not always the case.
I saw this play out in my own life after I jumped on the mouth-taping bandwagon and sealed my mouth shut every night because I saw it online. When I mentioned this to an ENT during a visit for breathing issues, he told me to stop immediately due to airway blockages in my nose, explaining that mouth taping could have been dangerously restricting my ability to breathe at night. I didn’t think twice about the risks when I saw so many people claiming it could help you sleep better, improve oral health, and even sharpen your jawline, much less consider consulting a doctor before. I simply clicked the link in the bio and purchased without a second thought.
“Her advice influenced actual cancer patients to reject traditional treatments like chemotherapy in favor of her unproven holistic methods. But the truth? Belle never had cancer. She lied to grow an audience that trusted her as a credible source for medical advice.”
Believing every wellness influencer and the trends and items they claim to be “life-changing” or whatever other hyperbolic adjective assigned to it reveals a much larger issue—as a society, we value these opinions over real doctors and experts. We all know that everything we see on the internet isn’t true. You’ve undoubtedly heard that social media is a highlight reel a thousand times, so why do we still put so much credit into unqualified content creators’ advice when it can have real-world implications on our health?
There is money behind influencers’ posts
Scrolling is often labeled as a “mindless” activity. We think of it as a way to decompress and relax, and hey, if you get a good tip here or there, that’s just a bonus. But the reality is that while we see influencers as entertainment or even friends, just looking out for us and giving us advice from the kindness of their hearts, that’s not actually what is happening. What we perceive as genuine advice is usually a sales pitch. More often than not, there’s a monetary value behind your view, behind your click, and especially behind your trust. In Apple Cider Vinegar, Belle made her money when people downloaded her app, bought her book, or donated to her fundraiser for charities (which she lined her own pockets with). Now, the sales tactics might not be as obvious. I’m not saying your favorite wellness influencer is purposely lying and scamming you out of money, but is trusting wellness tips from someone profiting off the views to be completely truthful really that different from believing Belle’s fabricated cancer story?
While influencers earning money from affiliate links or partnerships isn’t inherently unethical and doesn’t mean they don’t use and love a product, the lack of transparency about financial incentives on social media creates a gray area. This can be especially dangerous when dealing with the wellness industry and medical products. It’s impossible to know if these recommendations are driven by a genuine belief in the product or by the promise of profit. The issue is only made worse by the power of parasocial relationships, where audiences feel a personal connection and trust these influencers more than traditional experts. This trust can be weaponized to sell products, blurring the line between genuine advice and marketing.
Wellness isn’t cheap, either. The “small” costs, $20 for a supplement here, $30 for a collagen powder there, add up quickly. So before you make a purchase, you should think twice about who is benefiting. Belle didn’t have to convince her audience that her advice was a matter of life or death; they were fighting the disease she claimed to have themselves. They knew the stakes, and those stakes kept them reading. Social media figures in 2025 use similar tactics by fearmongering their audiences to keep them watching and clicking. When your health is on the line, it’s easy for a product to turn from a “want” to a “need.” The reality is that a product sold on Amazon with an affiliate link will never be the magic cure-all that influencers claim.
“The reality is that a product sold on Amazon with an affiliate link will never be the magic cure-all that influencers claim.”
Facts are secondary to a good story
Belle Gibson thrived because people wanted to believe her story. When faced with the glamour of a success story versus the mundanity of clinical facts, many chose the former. Today, this plays out in TikToks touting miracle results from products or trends, often presented as lifestyle tips rather than ads. Personal anecdotes—sincere or scripted—are more compelling than dry data or complicated medical explanations. For example, the carnivore diet (aka the animal diet) went viral after a flood of creators posted about it, saying it was the secret to healing your gut and getting toned. They urged their audiences to avoid fruits and vegetables in favor of meats and eggs, and a wave of people jumped on board even though cardiologists say the diet is incredibly unhealthy in the long run, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
It’s understandable people want a quick fix to their health problems rather than navigate insurance hurdles or advocate for themselves at appointments. Content creators also offer a sense of relatability and comfort you usually can’t find in a doctor’s office. They’re struggling with the same things you are and have come out on the other side, but still, this trend of prioritizing a good story over evidence shows how much power influencers hold over our decisions.
Intentions don’t always matter
Apple Cider Vinegar also centers Milla, a fictional character inspired by real wellness bloggers who genuinely believed their alternative treatments were effective. Diagnosed with cancer at 22, Milla rejected doctor-recommended amputation in favor of holistic remedies like juices and coffee enemas. She entered remission (though it’s unclear if she ever had proper scans) and became a wellness advocate, urging others to reject chemotherapy. Her advice ultimately resulted in her mother’s death after diagnosis and, later, her own. While Milla may have acted out of sincere belief, her influence shows how well-meaning misinformation can be as dangerous as outright deception.
Milla’s story is a more accurate representation of the creators we encounter today than Belle’s. Mistrust in the medical system drives people to seek alternative solutions, and even with a lack of credentials, these influencers give people a new path and a sense of hope regarding their health. The content creators in these communities may genuinely believe in the advice they give and even follow it themselves. But pure intentions don’t erase the harm caused by spreading misinformation. When an influencer with no medical training promotes raw milk or detox teas, the consequences—misguided decisions, wasted money, or worse—are real.
How can we learn from Apple Cider Vinegar?
The wellness industry thrives because we give people on social media our blind trust. To combat this, we need to practice media literacy. Ask yourself: What is this post trying to get me to do? How might the creator benefit?
When in doubt, prioritize doctors and experts over influencers. Yes, the medical industry has its own flaws, from dismissing women’s concerns to lack of access to affordable healthcare. However, finding a trustworthy medical professional is far more beneficial than placing your health in the hands of someone whose credentials are built on hashtags and affiliate links.
The wellness industry isn’t going anywhere, but Apple Cider Vinegar reminds us that it’s up to us to separate fact from fiction and to question who truly has our best interests at heart.
Lauren Blue, Assistant Editor
As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of must-read books, movies, home tours, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Goodreads for new releases to feature on the site.