There's nothing like a shocking true story turned Netflix drama to keep us glued to our screens. Apple Cider Vinegar, which is based on the twists and turns of the Belle Gibson story, is the latest hit that’s got us hooked. If you aren't familiar, or just need a quick recap, Belle was an Australian influencer who shot to fame in 2013 after she claimed she had cured her terminal cancer through alternative therapies.
Off the back of her seemingly-remarkable story, Belle created a wellness empire. However, this all came crumbling down in 2024 after suspicions grew she was a fraud. In 2015, she admitted the truth in an interview with Women's Weekly: 'No, none of it's true,' adding 'I am still jumping between what I think I know and what is reality. I have lived it and I'm not really there yet.'
Although Apple Cider Vinegar is a dramatised retelling of this events, people are naturally curious what actually happened to the real Belle Gibson, and whether she went to prison. Right now on Google, search for the term 'Belle Gibson is she in jail' is up by +900%.
Did Belle Gibson go to jail?
The short answer is no, but the show makes us work a bit to understand that. In Apple Cider Vinegar, we see Belle, played by Kaitlyn Dever, address the viewers by breaking the fourth wall. The question is answered by words which appear on the screen: 'In 2017, the Federal Court of Australia found Belle Gibson guilty of misleading and—'. But then it cuts off, and Dever's Belle says 'You know what? You can Google it.' This isn't the first time the show cleverly breaks the fourth wall. Just a few minutes in to the first episode, Dever's Belle says to the camera 'This is a true story based on a lie', continuing 'Some names have been changed to protect the innocent. Belle Gibson has not been paid for the recreation of her story.'
When speaking about her decision to end Apple Cider Vinegar with this question, director Samantha Strauss said 'in reality, Belle hasn’t paid her fine, you know, never went to jail. And I was like, "Yeah, you’re right. It feels a bit too traditional." So it was him [Jeffrey Walker], and we came up with that [twist]: We don’t need to know all that detail, we can all Google it; hopefully [go] off down the rabbit hole.'
Why didn't Belle Gibson go to jail?
Now, for the real life story. As the show depicts, Belle did not spend any time in jail. However, Belle did appear in court, and she was ordered by the Federal Court of Australia to pay $410,000 in relation to her 'unconscionable conduct.' Gibson did not pay her fees at the time, and in 2020, AU news reported that Belle had failed to pay more than $500,000 in penalties and interest, which led to her home being raided by the Victorian Sheriff’s Office. Her home was raided again in 2021, in an attempt to recoup her unpaid fines. It is unknown whether Belle has paid her fines.