Apple Cider Vinegar Ending Explained

Despite Belle Gibson's story's obvious conclusion, Apple Cider Vinegar paints a vivid portrait of the con artist and the victims she defrauded, culminating in a hopeful conclusion that conveys a significant message. Belle's story, which highlights the predatory nature of the con artists and liars who promote junk science, is as bitter and acidic as the liquid from which the title is taken. The plot of Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar alternates between Belle beginning to fabricate a story about having cancer, growing her company, and being discovered.

The stories of her rival, Milla Blake, who is genuinely afflicted with cancer; Chanelle, her manager and friend; Lucy, a cancer patient who is duped by her; and the investigative journalists, who ultimately expose her, are interwoven. Each of these characters ultimately contributes to Belle's demise, which results in a satisfying conclusion to the somewhat true tale.

How Belle Gibson Was Ultimately Revealed by Investigative Journalists

Despite their conviction that Belle Gibson is lying about her brain cancer in Apple Cider Vinegar, investigative journalists Justin and Sean understand that they cannot write an article stating this opinion unless they have indisputable evidence, which is practically impossible to obtain. After all, hospitals are unable to give journalists access to her medical records, and they cannot compel her to divulge them. They keep track of Belle's story's contradictions, but it's insufficient. For them to run the story, Belle would have to confess.

Fortunately, they also have the brilliant insight that Belle is most likely lying about her donations. Their breakthrough comes when they convince the charities and Hunter's mother, Fiona, to speak with them about Belle's failure to deliver the funds she promised. They run the finance story in the hopes that readers will make the connection, but they are unable to accuse Belle Gibson of having a fake cancer. This is similar to the real story of Apple Cider Vinegar, where Belle's lies were exposed by investigative journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano breaking the financial story.

Hunter's Experience With Apple Cider Vinegar

Belle Gibson's deceit toward Hunter, a young child with brain cancer, and his family is among the most heartbreaking aspects of Apple Cider Vinegar. Joshua Schwartz and his family, whom the actual scammer deceived, are the models for these characters. She claims to have the same kind of brain cancer as Hunter in the miniseries, so it's clear that she uses them to support her cancer narrative. In order to help the family pay for Hunter's brain surgery, she also deceives customers by promising them a month's worth of app sales.

The little boy has a tragic end because, as was to be expected, they never see a dime of that money. Fiona is forced to postpone Hunter's surgery because the investigative journalists are powerless to recover the donations. Customers start criticizing them and demanding their money back, and the family is powerless to appease the irate customers by claiming that they never saw a dime of Belle Gibson's money. In keeping with the reaction to Joshua Schwartz's real story, the skeptics also begin to accuse Hunter of fabricating his cancer (via Herald Sun).

Fiona's revelation that Hunter must cease treatment, suggesting that he is terminal, is the worst part of Apple Cider Vinegar. Unfortunately, the true story also has a tragic ending. According to Body Matters, Joshua Schwartz died in 2017 at the age of nine.

An explanation of Lucy's change of heart regarding apple cider vinegar

One example of Belle Gibson's victims is Lucy from Apple Cider Vinegar, who believes that cancer can be cured without medication. She keeps defending Belle in front of her journalist husband Justin, who is looking into her after Chanelle tells them about her deception. The claim that Belle is cancer-free causes a great deal of friction between the couple, as they quarrel over Lucy's decision to forego treatment. The most empowering part, though, is when she remarks on social media that Belle has never shown evidence of having cancer.

Lucy's mental transformation serves as an example of how, given the correct encouragement, a seed of doubt can gradually sprout into a revelation. Although her parasocial relationship with Belle may have delayed her progress, Lucy eventually managed to break free from the person who had been manipulating her for so long. Her social media comment can also be interpreted as her realization that she should remain loyal to the man who has always stood by her side. Belle's choice to openly question her husband may have been motivated by love for him.

Either way, Lucy's tale in Apple Cider Vinegar concludes on a hopeful note. She and Justin make amends and come to an agreement that incorporates both medical care and holistic healing. She undergoes chemotherapy and surgery to treat her breast cancer, and they also practice yoga and cold plunges together. The fact that these two ideas don't have to conflict with one another is a crucial message in a time when scientific disinformation is rampant. A patient like Lucy can use complementary and alternative medicine while still having faith in their physician's knowledge.

Why Clive Ultimately Remains With Belle

Despite being the first to question Belle Gibson's cancer diagnosis, Clive finds it difficult to balance his love for her with his resentment of her deception. He repeatedly threatens to leave Belle if she doesn't reveal the truth or provide proof that she has cancer. Even his parents advise him to end his relationship with her. Unfortunately, he ends up staying with Belle because he is unwilling to leave his son, not because he feels anything for her.

He cannot ensure that he will have any parental rights because he is not the child's biological father. He pleads with his son's biological father to remove him from Belle. The other man declines to accept any responsibility for the boy, but Clive is willing to spend less time with his child if he is safe. As an expression of his love for his son, he made the ultimate sacrifice by choosing to remain with Belle.

What Apple Cider Vinegar Actually Means in Belle's "This Is A True Story" Line

"This is a true story based on a lie" is said by various characters at the start of each episode in Apple Cider Vinegar. This seems to be Netflix's cheeky attempt to cover their bases following the Baby Reindeer defamation lawsuit. However, Belle's repeated use of the phrase "This is a true story" at the end of the final episode symbolizes the character's inability to distinguish between the truth and lies after repeatedly telling them.

This aligns with the inconsistencies revealed by the real Belle Gibson in the 2015 interviews regarding the truth. In an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly, she declined to fully admit, accept responsibility, and offer an apology for her lies. As portrayed in Apple Cider Vinegar, she stated in the 60 Minutes interview that she thought her lies were true at the time they were told. For the Netflix miniseries, which must decide which aspects of the real story to depict while fictionalizing others, the statement and Belle's hesitancy about it in Apple Cider Vinegar also serve as a moment of self-awareness.

How the Conclusion of Apple Cider Vinegar Relates to the Real Story

With the influencer losing both her business and her fan base, Belle Gibson's ending in Apple Cider Vinegar is essentially accurate. Because Penguin Publishing failed to fact-check her cookbook, they were fined. Apple took down her app in the interim. The largest inconsistency is that, according to a rumor, Belle may or may not have received $45,000 Australian dollars for the 60 Minutes interview. The conclusion of Lucy, however, is wholly made up because the character was developed for Apple Cider Vinegar to symbolize the millions of real cancer patients who fell for Belle Gibson's scam.

What Apple Cider Vinegar's End Really Means

While Belle Gibson's scam may be the main focus of Apple Cider Vinegar, the miniseries takes a risk by spending the last few minutes of the final episode focusing on Justin and Lucy rather than the scammer. This decision may appear counterintuitive to the miniseries, but in reality, it maintains the self-awareness that permeates the whole narrative of Apple Cider Vinegar.

The Netflix miniseries falls under the true crime genre, which all too frequently focuses on the story of the criminal rather than the victims. The story of those who were deceived, robbed, and manipulated by Belle Gibson is actively told in Apple Cider Vinegar. The show makes it abundantly evident that this was always about the cancer patients and not the liar who took advantage of their desperation by concluding with Justin and Lucy rather than Belle. While the survivors continue to live at the forefront, Belle fades into obscurity in Apple Cider Vinegar.