Yahoo Lifestyle 'Apple Cider Vinegar' Creator Samantha Strauss Says Meeting the Real-Life Belle Gibson Was 'Never an Option' (Exclusive)
Apple Cider Vinegar is inspired by the wild true story of Belle Gibson, a former influencer who faked brain cancer and built a wellness empire off a lie. Although the series remains faithful to many aspects of Gibson's story, it also features composite characters and imagined backstories—necessary components for a satisfying show.
Creator Samantha Strauss was able to take such artistic liberties in part because she never met the real-life Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever). "It was never an option for me," she tells Parade in an exclusive interview.
"Not meeting her does give you license to create," she added. By not coming face-to-face with the real Gibson, Strauss felt she was given the "freedom to explore someone without being beholden to them." She sees her version of the character as both "completely monstrous and completely relatable."
As for what the show is telling viewers about social media, Strauss says it would be an "old-person thing to say that all social media is all bad."
"It has connected communities that haven't been had enough representation and that value is so profound," she told Parade. But when it comes to matters of health and wellness, one has to be careful who they listen to online. "There are people who are not doctors and not scientists [sharing their opinions]," she says. In those cases, "social media can be a catastrophe."
Apple Cider Vinegar is now available to stream on Netflix.
