The upcoming Netflix limited series Apple Cider Vinegar chronicles the rise and fall of a wellness empire in the social media age, and you might be wondering whether the story is based on a true story or not.
What is Netfflix's Apple Cider Vinegar About?
Set at the birth of Instagram, the upcoming Netflix limited series Apple Cider Vinegar follows two young women who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online communities along the way.
The series stars Emmy-nominated actress Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness influencer who claims to have cured her terminal brain cancer through health and wellness.
However, as it turns out, Belle's claims were all false as she had never actually been diagnosed with — or cured of — the malignant brain tumor that she shares with the world through social media, the mobile app she develops, and its companion cookbook.
Apple Cider Vinegar was created by Australian writer Samantha Strauss and filmed on location in Melbourne where the story also takes place.
All episodes of the series are slated to release on Netflix this February 6.
Is Apple Cider Vinegar Based on a True Story?
The answer is somewhat a bit more complicated than you might think, but Netflix has marketed the series as "a true-ish story based on a lie."
The series is also inspired by the book, The Woman Who Fooled the World by journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, which chronicles Belle's high-profile scam which made headlines in Australian media when it happened.
However, despite being inspired by true events and having foundations in truth, it is still described as a work of fiction.
Certain characters and events that were portrayed in the series have also been created or fictionalized.
While it is not entirely based on a true story, the series will deal with themes of cultural interrogation of the times, exploring the birth of Instagram, the allure and rise of wellness culture, peak girl boss start-up culture, and the age of innocence on social media with very few checks and balances in place.
Are you looking forward to watching the series when it arrives on Netflix in a few weeks? Let us know in the comments!
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