Netflix's "Apple Cider Vinegar" Characters Vs Their Real-Life Counterparts

Netflix's new series Apple Cider Vinegar is an addictive watch based on the true story of Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness influencer who faked multiple cancers.

It's only natural to immediately get lost in a Google/Wiki whirlpool after watching anything inspired by a true story, but especially when the characters and events are as wild as those in Apple Cider Vinegar.

So if you're wondering who all the real people are behind the characters on the Netflix series, read on to find out (warning: spoilers!)...

Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson — based on Belle Gibson

Courtesy Of Netflix, Nine Network

Kaitlyn Dever does an incredible job (with a flawless Aussie accent) playing Belle. While the series describes itself as a "true-ish" story, it's based on the nonfiction book The Woman Who Fooled The World by Beau Donnelly and Nick Toscano, and much of the events that happen are inspired by things that really did take place — from Belle's rise on social media via her fake cancer story to the creation and initial success of her app, before her final exposure as a fraud. Even smaller details like the 40 minutes of "seizures" at her son's birthday party, and the bright pink turtleneck she wore for her memorable 60 Minutes interview, are true to life. In addition to not having cancer, Belle made false claims about raising and donating money to charity, including the family of a young boy who really had brain cancer.

Alycia Debnam-Carey as Milla Blake — inspired by Jess Ainscough

Amanda Gooch / Netflix / Courtesy Of Netflix, Instagram / @jessainscough / Via instagram.com

Although Milla Blake is a fictional character, she appears to be inspired by the late Jess Ainscough. Like Milla, Jess was 22 and working at a teen magazine (Dolly rather than Girlfriend) when she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after discovering tumours in her arm. Like Milla, she chose not to have her arm amputated against doctors' advice and travelled to Mexico to immerse herself in an extreme lifestyle program that involved multiple juices and coffee enemas daily, writing about her journey on her blog and eventually a book. Like Milla, Jess' mom also got cancer (although she had breast cancer, not bowel cancer), rejected conventional treatment in favor of following Jess' extreme lifestyle, and died. And like Milla, Jess herself also died as a result of her cancer in 2015.

Ashley Zuckerman as Clive Rothwell — based on Clive Rothwell

Amanda Gooch / Netflix / Courtesy Of Netflix, Nine Network

Like in the show, Clive Rothwell is a private person. He was an IT worker and helped Belle start The Whole Pantry app, and Belle said she and her son lived with him and he paid for their living expenses (and luxuries like holidays), although she claimed the two didn't have a romantic relationship — despite previously saying she was with him, and that she had been pregnant and had a miscarriage.

Although Clive seemed to stick by Belle through her initial downfall and beyond, the pair appear to no longer be together.

Aisha Dee as Chanelle — partially inspired by Chanelle McAuliffe

Amanda Gooch / Netflix / Courtesy Of Netflix, TikTok / @chanelle.mcauliffe / Via tiktok.com

The character of Chanelle seems to be inspired by a combination of a few real people, most notably Chanelle McAuliffe, who was friends with Belle and not only confronted her about her lies but went to the media to expose her. The real Chanelle, however, was not friends with Milla's counterpart Jess Ainscough, although they did grow up in the same town.

Richard Davies as Sean and Mark Coles Smith as Justin — partially inspired by Nick Toscano and Beau Donelly, and Richard Guilliatt

Ben King / Courtesy Of Netflix, Courtesy of Netflix, TikTok / @beaudonelly / Via tiktok.com, BBC / Via youtube.com

Sean and Justin are fictional characters, but partly inspired by an amalgamation of three journalists. Two, Nick Toscano and Beau Donelly, worked together to report on Belle's case after speaking to Chanelle, publishing stories in The Age before later writing a book The Woman Who Fooled The World, the book that became the basis for Apple Cider Vinegar. Richard Guilliatt is another journalist who investigated Belle, writing for The Australian — and it was he whose wife had been treated for breast cancer, although it was well before he worked on the story about Belle, back in 2005.

Catherine Mcclements as Julie Gibbs — based on Julie Gibbs

BEN KING / Netflix / Courtesy Of Netflix, Instagram / @julie_gibbs / Via instagram.com

Like in the show, the real Julie Gibbs was a respected lifestyle publisher working at Penguin's Lantern imprint when she agreed to publish Belle's cookbook. Julie left Penguin when Lantern was shut down in 2015 after the news of Belle's fraud broke.

Phoenix Raei as Hek — loosely inspired by Alex Twomey

Courtesy Of Netflix, Instagram / @sportsbizarre / Via instagram.com

In Apple Cider Vinegar, Hek is the PR crisis manager Belle hires after her fraud is exposed. In real life, Belle Gibson was helped by crisis manager Alex Twomey (now known as Titus O'Reily), although he worked pro bono — and doesn't appear to have anything else in common with the fictional character Hek.

Sibylla Budd as Tara Brown — based on Tara Brown

Netflix, Nine Network

Tara Brown is an Australian journalist who interviewed Belle for 60 Minutes — although her character only appears briefly in the Netflix series, her scenes are incredibly accurate to the real-life interaction between Belle and Tara.

Essie Davis as Natalie — based on Natalie Dal-Bello

Amanda Gooch / Netflix / Courtesy Of Netflix, Nick Gibson / Nine Network / Via youtube.com

As depicted in the Netflix series, Belle Gibson was estranged from her mother, Natalie, who spoke to the media about being hurt and angry about the way Belle spoke publicly about her childhood and embarrassed about her cancer fraud.

Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Lucy — inspired by Belle's followers

Lucy is an almost-entirely-fictional character, but she seems to be a representative composite of the real people with cancer who followed Belle and took her advice to heart. In The Woman Who Fooled The World, Nick Toscano and Beau Donelly speak to some of those followers, including one woman who, like Lucy, worked at a café Belle visited.

What are your thoughts on Apple Cider Vinegar? Let us know in the comments!