Netflix’s lively and half-true Apple Cider Vinegar fictionalizes the highs and lows of health guru Belle Gibson. The Australian woman was exposed by The Age, first for false claims about charitable donations, then shortly after for pretending to have terminal cancer to build her wellness empire, The Whole Pantry.
Gibson’s partner Clive Rothwell was featured heavily in the drama series, as was her young son, Oliver, who Gibson claimed was the motivating factor in her determination to squash health industry competition and reign as its top influencer.
Belle Gibson’s son Oliver is living a private life
The mother and con artist is keeping a low profile in Australia, with reported public sightings ever rarer as the years go on — she was spotted getting gas in 2024, so we at least know she hasn’t left her home country. However, the popularity of the Netflix show may lead to more sightings as she is now an even more recognizable face.
There’s no indication of custody issues regarding Oliver — who was born in 2011 and is a teenager now — so we can assume he is still with his mother. The attention has rightly been pointed at Belle instead.
What happened after she was exposed?
After her false claims of giving around $300,000 to organizations and individuals were revealed in Mar. 2015, it was a matter of days before the more explosive story took the limelight. When her cancer diagnosis was called into question by The Age‘s reporting, Gibson opted for crisis management.
Close friends and leading neurosurgeon, Professor Andrew Kaye directly contradicted her health claims in the article, and Gibson’s answers to mounting questions didn’t clear any of the confusion. First, she nuked her professional and personal social media profiles, deleting content from X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram.
Gibson then agreed to interviews as a last-ditch attempt to clear her name. She spoke to Women’s Weekly in April 2015 and admitted she had made up her diagnosis. The write-up rightly acknowledged it’s possible Gibson may have been dealing with some kind of psychological problem that led to the tales she spun and managed to get the simple declaration out of her: “None of it’s true.” However, in a televised 60 Minutes interview, she changed her story again. This time, she claimed she had been wrongfully diagnosed in 2009 and didn’t know until 2011.
Gibson’s life following The Whole Pantry’s downfall
The Whole Pantry app was pulled from app stores and a consumer affairs investigation was launched, eventually finding her guilty of breaking consumer laws. Consumer Affairs Victoria fined her $410,000 in Sep. 2017, but that money would never be paid.
She failed to make any payments in 2018, according to ABC, leading to Australian courts threatening that Gibson would “be liable to imprisonment, sequestration of property or other punishment,” if she didn’t pay up. She appeared in court twice in 2019, when she tried to explain she didn’t have the funds to pay the fine. However, The Guardian reported she spent around $90,000 on clothing and beauty costs between 2017 and 2019.
Gibson’s home was raided in Jan. 2020 and in May 2021, where authorities attempted to recoup the money owed, which had ballooned to upwards of $500,000 thanks to penalties and interest. However, according to Women’s Weekly, the Federal Court marked the case abandoned in Feb. 2021, likely due to Gibson’s legitimate inability to pay the fine.
In 2020 Gibson posted a video where she claimed to have become a member of Ethiopia’s Oromo community in Melbourne. She spoke wearing a headscarf, went by Sabontu, and switched between languages in the footage. ABC shared Gibson said, “My heart is deeply embedded in the Oromo people, I feel blessed to be adopted by you.”
The Oromo community reportedly was unaware of Gibson’s crimes and real identity, later saying she was not a member. It’s unclear what Gibson is doing now, but she’s masterful at charming her way into people’s lives, so we don’t imagine it’ll be long before she’s “adopted” by another victim.
Published: Feb 9, 2025 09:17 am