This post contains spoilers from the Apple Cider Vinegar series finale.
As the new Netflix original limited series reminds us at the top of every episode, Apple Cider Vinegar is based on a true story based upon a lie told by former wellness influencer Belle Gibson. Kaitlyn Dever plays the social media scammer, who fabricated multiple cancer diagnoses and founded a business on that lie, scamming followers out of money and endangering their health.
Throughout the six episodes, Apple Cider Vinegar explores the rise and fall of Belle Gibson by jumping through time during the key periods of her business' takeover in 2010 to 2015. When you look into the real Belle's story, as Dever's character portrayal implores viewers at the end of the series finale, you'll find that the limited series covered a lot of ground and stayed mostly true to the events that unfolded.
But what became of Belle Gibson, in both the show and in real life? As for the rest of Apple Cider Vinegar's characters, what happened to both Milla and Lucy in the aftermath of Belle's being exposed and her reputation taking an unsurvivable hit? Let's dive into all the spoilers from the limited series' finale and share a bit more insight on the true events!
Belle Gibson still hasn't repaid fraud debts
Apple Cider Vinegar's series finale finds Belle's empire rapidly crashing down at her feet, and there's not much else she can do to keep it structurally sound. She's no longer one step ahead of everyone once the reporters email her a list of questions that she ignores and the story breaks. She can't run anymore and try to plug the holes of her sinking ship. Deleting negative comments doesn't work.
In the end, Clive realizes Nathan won't be able to be a stable parent for Belle's son. He stays with Belle, telling her that he loves her, and the family unit moves to Beverly Hills, California. Belle sits down for an interview, which actually happened in real life a pink turtleneck sweater and everything. Before the interview begins, Belle demands that the $75,000 payment be added to her account or she walks.
As the series begins to explain in the end card before Dever's Belle instructs us to "Google it," the real Gibson was found guilty in 2017 for her misleading and deceptive behavior and received a $410,000 fine to recover the money she had supposedly but did not donate to charity. Gibson has reportedly still not paid the fine citing extensive debt and lack of funds, which led to her home being raided twice between 2020 and 2021.
Milla dies after cancer recurrence and spread
In the penultimate episode of Apple Cider Vinegar, Milla finally faces the fact that she can't cure her cancer with holistic methods now that it's back and worse. Having watched her mother die from not medically treating her bowel cancer, Milla tearfully apologizes to her father and attempts to seek treatment from an oncologist. Unfortunately, it's spread too much and is far too aggressive for the doctors to do anything but make her comfortable for her final days.
Milla ultimately dies from her cancer, which mirrors what happened to Jessica Ainscough, the late wellness influencer Milla was based on. Of course, Belle crashes both her funeral and the wake thrown at her home to keep up appearances of them being "friends." Everyone see through it though, and Arlo kicks her out. When Belle leaves Milla's wake in tears, Chanelle has some biting parting words as she drives away in the rental truck she didn't want. "I actually hate you, too! Heaps!"
There are differences between Ainscough's story and Milla's story, which is likely why the series opted to change the character's name. While Ainscough did seek alternative cancer treatments through Gerson Therapy and coffee enemas, she also initially received chemotherapy upon her diagnosis. Ainscough was able to undergo radiation therapy prior to passing away in February 2015 at the age of 29 years old. Ainscough's mother also died from breast cancer that wasn't medically treated.
Lucy resumes treatment and reconciles with Justin
When Lucy was struggling with her breast cancer treatments, she found solace in Belle's postings about how she was able to treat her own cancer. Lucy's journalist husband Justin pushes back against Lucy looking to Belle for guidance, which prompts him to go full steam ahead to work with Chanelle in exposing Belle's fraudulent social media platform. Before long, Lucy and Justin aren't speaking as she embarks on an ayahuasca retreat in South America.
Thankfully, once Justin publishes the report on Belle and the world quickly reacts, he notices that Lucy's one of the many comments questioning the validity of Belle's claims that she has cancer. Whether from the alternative treatment she pursued or the story going public or a mixture of the two, Lucy opens her eyes to the truth. She returns home and seeks medical treatment and a surgery, and we see her hair has grown back and she's living her life happily with Justin.
Watch Apple Cider Vinegar only on Netflix.