Where Is Clive Rothwell Now? All About His Life After Belle Gibson's Crimes

Clive Rothwell and influencer Belle Gibson's relationship is portrayed on Netflix's 'Apple Cider Vinegar'

Kelsie Gibson

6 February 2025 at 3:19 pm·4-min read

Matrix; Backgrid AU/BACKGRID Clive Rothwell, Belle Gibson — Matrix; Backgrid AU/BACKGRID
Clive Rothwell, Belle Gibson

Netflix is telling the story of Belle Gibson’s lies and crimes with its new series Apple Cider Vinegar, but it’s also shining a light on those closest to her during her fake cancer scandal.

In the early 2010s, Gibson rose to social media fame as a wellness influencer, claiming that she overcame terminal brain cancer through healthy eating and natural remedies.

In addition to gaining thousands of followers on social media, where she documented her health journey, she later launched The Whole Pantry app which was later turned into a cookbook of the same name.

Though her following grew tremendously during this time, it didn’t take long before her lies began to unravel. As shown on Apple Cider Vinegar, things came crashing down when a Melbourne-based newspaper began to question her claims about having cancer.

While Netflix has changed the names of several real people on the show, one person’s identity remains the same: her rumored partner Clive Rothwell.

Here’s what Gibson has said about their relationship and where he is today following her exposed crimes.

Who is Clive Rothwell?

Matrix Clive Rothwell riding his bike — Matrix
Clive Rothwell riding his bike

Unlike Gibson, who put her life in the spotlight as a wellness influencer, Rothwell has lived a predominantly private life. As such, many details about him are unknown.

As shown on the Netflix series, he was said to work as an IT consultant, though when Gibson appeared in court in 2019, she claimed that she did not know what he did for a living, as reported by The Age.

When asked about his income, as Gibson said that Rothwell covered many of her living expenses in court, she claimed that she did not know, saying, “That’s not my business.”

The status of Rothwell and Gibson’s relationship has also been a point of contention. Though Gibson revealed that she and her son lived with Rothwell while appearing in court in 2019, she claimed that they did not share a romantic relationship.

However, when Gibson’s close friend Chanelle McAuliffe (who seemingly inspired Aisha Dee's character on the series) was interviewed by Woman’s Day in January 2024, she referred to Rothwell as Gibson’s partner as she discussed her early friendship with the influencer.

“It was a very close relationship. I slept at her house, I hung out with her son Oliver and her partner [Clive Rothwell],” she told the publication. “I told her about my partner at the time who had a traumatic brain injury. Belle really tried to connect with us.”

Was Clive Rothwell involved in Belle Gibson’s crimes?

Though Rothwell has not been directly linked to Gibson’s crimes, he did play a role in her early career beginnings. Notably, he registered The Whole Pantry domain name in 2013, as reported by the Herald Sun.

Rothwell’s name was brought up many times as Gibson appeared in court in 2019. Ahead of a previous hearing, Gibson had said that she and Rothwell had a $90,000 debt but declined to reveal what the money was owed for, as reported by The Age.

She also revealed that Rothwell paid for many of her expenses, from her share of their $600 per-week rent to various living costs and thousands of dollars in legal expenses. He even paid for a $5,000 trip she and her son took to Africa, she claimed in court.

When interviewed by Woman’s Day in 2015 about her fake cancer scandal, Gibson claimed that Rothwell, who declined to be interviewed for the story, was “supportive but obviously devastated” by the scandal.

“He’s been very stern, along the lines of, ‘I just want you to acknowledge where you’ve f----- up and not try and smooth over that’,” she told the publication at the time.

Are Clive Rothwell and Belle Gibson still together?

Courtesy of Netflix Ashley Zukerman as Clive Rothwell in 'Apple Cider Vinegar' — Courtesy of Netflix
Ashley Zukerman as Clive Rothwell in 'Apple Cider Vinegar'

Though Rothwell decides to stay with Gibson amid her scandal on the Netflix series, it’s unclear where the real couple stands today.

In recent years, Gibson has maintained that the two don’t have a romantic relationship, calling him her “friend” while appearing in court in 2019. In November 2023, it was reported that the two had broken up as Rothwell was spotted with another woman, according to photos obtained by Daily Mail.