The real reason Belle Gibson isn't in prison.

Before Elizabeth Holmes claimed that she had revolutionised blood testing, before Anna Delvey was scamming New York's elite, our very own so-called wellness warrior, Belle Gibson, was building an empire on the biggest lie: that she'd cured her terminal brain cancer through clean eating and positive thinking.

Spoiler alert: She never had cancer at all.

Now, as Netflix has released Apple Cider Vinegar, a dramatised take on Gibson's spectacular rise and fall, we're all asking the same question: what happened to the woman who managed to fool not just her millions of followers, but some of the biggest companies in the world?

What Did Belle Gibson do?

In 2013, following huge social media success, Gibson launched The Whole Pantry app, positioning herself as a wellness guru who had cured her terminal brain cancer through alternative therapies and clean eating. The app was a huge success and was even voted 2013's Best Food and Drink App of the year by Apple. In 2015, Gibson and Penguin Books published a successful cookbook, also titled The Whole Pantry.

There was just one problem: she had never had cancer.

Belle Gibson was a wellness influencer who faked her cancer diagnosis. Image: AAP.

Gibson claimed she had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2009, and that she had been given just four months to live. She said she rejected conventional medicine in favour of alternative therapies, clean eating, and positive thinking.

But in 2015, journalists from various publications began uncovering inconsistencies in her story. It was revealed that Gibson had failed to donate promised funds to various charities, despite claiming she had given away a significant portion of her profits.

The empire she built on wellness and inspiration crumbled overnight.

Chanelle McAuliffe was the whistleblower who confronted Belle Gibson, listen to her interview on True Crime Conversations. Story continues below.

The new Belle Gibson Netflix show, Apple Cider Vinegar.

Image: Netflix.

Netflix's new drama Apple Cider Vinegar, described by Netflix as a "true-ish story based on a lie", brings Gibson's story to the screen, with the series exploring Gibson's rise to fame and how she managed to fool millions with her wellness empire. The series is inspired by the 2017 book The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano.

Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar blends fact with fiction, with some supporting characters being made up for the sake of the story, while other key characters are drawn directly from Gibson's real-life.

The show's creator, Samantha Strauss, spoke about the exploration of the concept of 'wellness' in the show, and how it is often weaponised by the media.

"It's really interesting to look at how media uses food as a weapon against us and how much we crave the nourishment, but how much of a privilege and how expensive it is to try to be well," Strauss said.

Where is Belle Gibson now?

After her deception was exposed, Gibson was fined $410,000 by Consumer Affairs Victoria for misleading conduct. As of 2025, most of her fines remains unpaid, as per the Daily Telegraph.

In February 2024, a reporter from A Current Affair approached her at a petrol station. When asked why she hasn't "paid a cent" of her fines, she responded, "Have some humanity. I haven't paid things because I can't afford to."

Gibson has largely disappeared from public view, though occasional media investigations have found her living in Melbourne.

In 2020, Gibson was discovered to be involved in Melbourne's Ethiopian community under a new name, Sabontu.

Watch: Belle Gibson speaks about her role in the Ethiopian community. Article continues after video.

"Ask me what my name is now," Gibson said in a video posted on Facebook by Shabo Media. "Today our diaspora community met to discuss the current situation of Ethiopia."

"My heart is deeply embedded in the Oromo people," she said. "I feel blessed to be adopted by you."

Dr Tarekegn Chimdi, who heads Melbourne's Ethiopian community, initially dismissed her as someone's girlfriend. But when reporters revealed the truth, he demanded she leave.

"She exploited our community's kindness," he told The Weekly. "Our people are trusting — they don't question strangers who approach them. They had no idea about her true intentions."

At the time of Apple Cider Vinegar's release, Gibson does not have an active social media presence and it's unknown whether she's still with her longtime partner, Clive Rothwell.

Why didn't Belle Gibson go to jail?

Despite being found guilty of five breaches of consumer law, Gibson has not spent any time in jail. However, she did appear in court in 2017, and was ordered by the Federal Court of Australia to pay $410,000 in relation to her "unconscionable conduct."

Gibson did not pay her fees at the time, and in 2020, it was reported that Gibson had failed to pay more than $500,000 in penalties and interest, which led to her home being raided by the Victorian Sheriff's Office.

Her home was raided again in 2021, in an attempt to recoup her unpaid fines.

"Ms Gibson owes the Victorian public a substantial debt and Consumer Affairs Victoria will continue to pursue repayment," a Consumer Affairs Victoria spokesperson said.

"A warrant of seizure and sale on Ms Gibson was executed today by Sheriff's officers at an address in Northcote."

It is unknown whether Gibson has paid her fines, but as of February 2021, the Federal Court has marked Gibson's case as "abandoned," as per Women's Weekly.

Feature Image: AAP.