Apple Cider Vinegar: Release date plot cast and more about upcoming Australia drama mini-series

Netflix released the first trailer for the anticipated true-crime series Apple Cider Vinegar. The show, which premieres on February 6, 2025, revolves around the rapid rise and fall of Belle Gibson, the pseudoscience advocate from Australia. In the 2010s, she launched a wellness empire by lying that she cured her brain cancer by following an all-natural lifestyle.

Apple Cider Vinegar stars American actress Kaitlyn Dever as Gibson and will run for six episodes. Award-winning Australian writer Samantha Strauss, who had previously worked on Dance Academy, Nine Perfect Strangers, and The End, is its creator. The limited series intends to interrogate the appeal and rise of wellness culture. Netflix's official logline for the show reads:

“All of which would be incredibly inspiring… if it were all true”

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Loosely based on the book The Woman Who Fooled the World, the Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar follows health influencer Belle Gibson, who built a wellness empire on lies that a natural lifestyle cured her cancer. The six-episode series follows Gibson, a single mother witnessing both the rise and fall of her brand. The synopsis for the show reads as follows:

"Two young women advocate for wellness remedies to cure deadly illnesses, unraveling their lives as they unknowingly — and knowingly — mislead the world."

The release date for Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar is February 6, 2025.

Who is the showrunner for this Netflix series?

Writer Samantha Strauss is the creator of this upcoming Netflix limited series. She was living in Melbourne back in the 2010s when Gibson rose to prominence. Strauss learned about Gibson through The Age's reporting. With this series, Strauss intends to reflect on the birth of Instagram, the era when Belle Gibson rose, and the celebration of "girl boss" culture.

Does Apple Cider Vinegar depict a true story?

While the foundation of Apple Cider Vinegar is built on truth, it should be noted that the series might be mostly fictitious. The series is focused on the culture that built up a wellness empire and the people who broke it. So, some characters and events could be fictional or created for the show.

The show's creator, Samantha Strauss, took inspiration from the book The Woman Who Fooled the World, written by journalists Nick Toscano and Beau Donnelly. These journalists worked for the Melbourne-based newspaper The Age, which exposed Belle Gibson's lies. It is through their reporting that Strauss became aware of Gibson’s story.

Why is the show titled Apple Cider Vinegar?

Alycia Debnam-Carey as Milla Blake in Apple Cider Vinegar | Image Source: Netflix

The name Apple Cider Vinegar is a jab at the oversimplified and superficial answers that the wellness industry peddles to the public. There are several uses for apple cider vinegar, and there might be some health benefits to consuming it. However, curing cancer is something that apple cider vinegar can't do. Strauss explained the meaning behind the title like this:

“[With the title,] I wanted something that would capture this idea of hope in a bottle and that could be a bigger umbrella than something that would relate only to Belle.”

Who stars in this series?

Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson | Image Source: Netflix

This Netflix series is headlined by American actress Kaitlyn Dever playing the role of Belle Gibson. This semi-biographical Netflix limited series also features the following artists: