‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ Show Cast Guide: Are Belle Gibson, Milla Blake, and Lucy Guthrie All Real People?

Netflix‘s latest limited series Apple Cider Vinegar tears into the real life scandal of one Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever). Over a decade ago, Gibson was a one-woman wellness empire. The Australian single mother had miraculously bounced back from a fatal brain cancer diagnosis to conquer social media, Silicon Valley, and the over-saturated cookbook market. Gibson attributed her good health to a holistic way of eating, inspired by alternative medicine and scientifically-untested cancer-fighting methods. Her brand, The Whole Pantry, wasn’t just an app to help you buy groceries, but a lifestyle designed to cure cancer.

Except Belle Gibson was a big fat liar.

Inspired by another super popular Aussie wellness influencer, Gibson had spun a wild tale of poor health to garner sympathy and raise massive amounts of charity funds that she kept for herself. When her lies were exposed Gibson went into crisis management mode, attempting to exonerate herself. Today, she is vilified as a dangerous scammer and her work has been essentially scrubbed from the internet. Most of what you can find on Belle today is sourced by none other than the two Australian journalists who exposed her in the first place: Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, co-authors of the nonfiction book that inspired Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar, The Woman Who Fooled the World: Belle Gibson’s Cancer Con.

The Apple Cider Vinegar show weaves together Belle’s story along with those of fictitious stand-ins for the real life people who found themselves crushed in her wake. In addition to Kaitlyn Dever’s Belle, we also meet magazine editor and cancer patient Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), breast cancer battler Lucy Guthrie (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), and the accidentally complicit Chanelle (Aisha Dee).

So who’s who in the Apple Cider Vinegar show cast? Which characters were real people in real life? And where have you seen the (mostly Australian) cast of Apple Cider Vinegar before?Here’s your guide to who’s who in the Apple Cider Vinegar cast…

• Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson

  Who is Belle Gibson in Apple Cider Vinegar? Belle Gibson is an Australian single mother-turned-media mogul thanks to her super successful app, The Whole Pantry. Gibson’s whole lifestyle brand is based on the idea that she’s used nutritious meals and alternative medicine to cure her brain cancer. It’s revealed early on in Apple Cider Vinegar that Belle has lied about having cancer.

  Is Belle Gibson a Real Person? Yes, she most certainly is! Annabelle “Belle” Gibson was a super successful social media influencer, app developer, and cookbook author until it was revealed she had not only lied about having cancer, but committed charity fraud. Today, her online footprint has been scoured from the internet. The last we heard from her, she had been trying to identify herself as a member of Ethiopia’s Australian Oromo community, but they literally disowned her.

  What to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Star Kaitlyn Dever: Kaitlyn Dever is an American actress, known for her work in Booksmart, Unbelievable, and Dopesick. Later this year, she will join the cast of HBO’s The Last of Us as Abby. You can follow her on Instagram @kaitlyndever. 

• Alycia Debnam-Carey as Milla Blake

  Who is Milla Blake in Apple Cider Vinegar? Milla Blake is a talented young magazine editor whose life turns upside down when she’s diagnosed with the deadly cancer, Pleomorphic sarcoma. Instead of amputating her arm, per doctors’ orders, she embraces alternative medicine, becoming a social media superstar — and Belle’s idol/rival — in the process.

  Is Milla Blake a Real Person? Milla Blake is not a real person, but she is clearly inspired by Jessica Ainscough, right down to both women’s Sweet Valley High obsessions. Like Milla, Jess Ainscough was a magazine editor who turned to alternative medicine, specifically juicing and coffee enemas, to “cure” her pithelioid sarcoma cancer. Ainscough was also an online contemporary of the real Belle Gibson. 

  What to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Star Alycia Debnam-Carey: Aussie actress Alycia Debnam-Carey has starred in a variety of hit shows from Fear the Walking Dead and The 100 to The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and Saint X. She recently starred in the Netflix film, It’s What’s Inside. You can follow her @alyciajasmin.

• Aisha Dee as Chanelle

  Who is Chanelle in Apple Cider Vinegar? Chanelle — her last name is purposely obscured upon introduction — is Milla’s childhood best friend. As Belle’s star rises, she lures the ambitious Chanelle to her camp to act as her manager and assistant. When Chanelle witnesses firsthand the depths of Belle’s deceit, she makes it her mission to bring the fraudster down. 

  Is Chanelle a Real Person? Chanelle is loosely inspired by Belle Gibson’s real life friend Chanelle McAuliffe, who confronted Belle about her suspicions that she was lying about her health in early 2015. When Belle didn’t convince McAuliffe, she went to the press with her concerns. McAuliffe has a different backstory from Chanelle in the show and you can read her version of events at the Daily Mail.

  What to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Star Aisha Dee: Aisha Dee is an Australian actress best known stateside for playing Kat Edison on Freeform’s beloved The Bold Type. She’s also starred in The Saddle Club and Sweet/Vicious. You can follow her @aishtray.

• Ashley Zukerman as Clive Rothwell

  Who is Clive Rothwell in Apple Cider Vinegar? Clive Rothwell is Belle’s romantic and business partner. In Apple Cider Vinegar, we see how they met and how he became not only her primary source of seed money, but the primary caregiver to her son. 

  Is Clive Rothwell a Real Person? He is! The real Belle Gibson launched the real Whole Pantry with the real Clive Rothwell’s help. According to a 2023 Daily Mail report, the two split a few years back and Rothwell has moved on to a new partner.

  What to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Star Ashley Zukerman: Ashley Zukerman is a critically-acclaimed actor in his native Australia, but might be most famous stateside for his turn as Shiv Roy’s ex Nate on Succession. He also starred in the cult fave Manhattan and led Peacock’s Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol. You can currently see him on Silo.

• Mark Coles Smith as Justin Guthrie

  Who is Justin Guthrie in Apple Cider Vinegar? Justin Guthrie is first introduced as the devoted husband of wife Lucy, an Aussie woman who is diagnosed with breast cancer. Journalist Justin is skeptical of his wife’s obsession with Belle Gibson and concerned Lucy is being coerced away from modern medical solutions in favor of untested trends. Justin eventually finds himself on the front lines of pursuing the truth about Belle, to Lucy’s consternation.

  Is Justin Guthrie a Real Person? No, he was created for the show, but he and partner Sean Mengotti (Richard Davies), are very loosely inspired by the real journalists who broke Belle’s IRL story, Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano.

  What to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Star Mark Coles Smith: Mark Coles Smith is a celebrated Aboriginal Australian actor and musician who you might recognize from the 2018 Prime Video limited series Picnic at Hanging Rock. You can follow him @markcolessmith.

• Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Lucy Guthrie

  Who is Lucy Guthrie in Apple Cider Vinegar? Lucy is a café manager who lives an idyllic life until she’s diagnosed with breast cancer. In the midst of her frustrating journey with chemotherapy, she finds comfort in Belle Gibson’s content. As Lucy’s cancer get worse, her idolatry of Belle further drives a wedge between her and Justin. 

  Is Lucy Guthrie a Real Person? No, but she represents the countless real life cancer patients who found themselves conned by Belle Gibson’s false claims. 

  What to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Star Tilda Cobham-Hervey: Tilda Cobham-Hervey is an Aussie actress who’s appeared in The Lost Flowers of Alice Heart, I Am Woman (as Helen Reddy), and the recent film, Young Woman and the Sea. She met long-time partner Dev Patel on the set of Hotel Mumbai. 

• Phoenix Raei as Hek

  Who is Hek in Apple Cider Vinegar? Hek is the charming SoCal crisis manager who swoops in to save Belle’s reputation. Unfortunately for Hek, he soon finds himself drawn into Belle’s parasitic orbit. She exploits his vices and blames him for her own misconduct. 

  Is Hek a Real Person? No, but the real Belle Gibson did briefly work with an Australian firm called Bespoke Approach in the fallout of the controversy.

  What to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Star Phoenix Raei: Iranian-born Aussie actor Phoenix Raei has appeared in tons of major Aussie series, like Wentworth, The Twelve, Stateless, and Romper Stomper. More recently, you may have caught him in two other Netflix titles: Clickbait and The Night Agent. You can follow him @phoenixraei.

• Chai Hansen as Arlo Palmer

  Who is Arlo Palmer in Apple Cider Vinegar? Arlo Palmer is a handsome and charming old schoolmate of Milla’s who re-enters her life at a wellness retreat. Arlo gifts his long-time crush a green rock which soon becomes the emblem of her healing journey. The two eventually are engaged to be married.

  Is Arlo Palmer a Real Person? No, but much like Milla appears to be inspired by Jessica Ainscough, Arlo seems to be a fictitious version of Ainscough’s fiancé Tallon Pamenter.

  What to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Star Chai Hansen: Thai-Australian actor Chai Hansen has been something of an international Aussie TV heartthrob for about a decade now. He played a merman Zac Blakely on Mako Mermaids and Ilian on The 100. He’s also appeared in Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments and The New Legends of Monkey. Most recently, he played a cameraman on the critically-acclaimed Australian drama The Newsreader. You can follow him @chaihansen.

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