‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ and the World of Wellness Influencers

“Apple Cider Vinegar,” a new series on Netflix, tells the story of Belle Gibson, an Australian woman who fooled the world when she used a fake cancer diagnosis to launch an international wellness platform and pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Gibson released The Whole Pantry, a health, wellness and lifestyle app, in 2013 after rising in popularity as a wellness influencer on Instagram, claiming she successfully treated her brain cancer through diet and a wholesome lifestyle. The app and follow-up book, “The Whole Pantry,” catalogued Gibson’s positive thinking guide, advice on superfoods and detoxing, and the recipes that allegedly healed her cancer. A 2015 investigation conducted by Australian journalists revealed Gibson had been lying about her cancer diagnosis all along. As a result, The Whole Pantry app and book were removed from circulation, and Gibson was ordered by the Federal Court of Australia to pay a fine of about $400,000 Australian dollars (or $322,000 U.S. dollars), which is still unpaid as of 2025.

Gibson’s dramatic fall from grace has kept “Apple Cider Vinegar” at the top of Netflix’s weekly most-watched list drawing attention to the unique and potentially dangerous power of wellness influencers.

The wellness industry, worth $5.6 trillion in 2023, is only expected to grow thanks in large part to influencer-driven promotions on social media. Photogenic, aspirational and charismatic, wellness influencers’ appearance of authenticity and ability to connect with consumers on a personal level puts them in a unique position to sell products to their followers. Often promoting themselves as living proof of their ethos, popular items hocked by influencers include: vitamins and supplements, protein and superfood powders, detox teas, sleep aids, hair and skincare products, and digital platforms for tracking diet, fitness, weight and productivity.

While wellness influencers may claim to promote health through their personal experiences, cautionary stories like Belle Gibson’s are not unique. In 2024 TINA.org added a fitness influencer known as “The Liver King” to our Wall of Shame for lying about his steroid use to sell supplements. Brian Johnson, aka The Liver King, claimed his impressive physique came from following an “ancestral” lifestyle, which included eating large quantities of raw unprocessed organs and meat. Johnson used this story to launch the Ancestral Lifestyle brand, which sells immunity, vitality and energy supplements. Though he long denied any use of steroids, Johnson came under fire in 2022 for reportedly spending $11,000 a month on them.

The bottom line? Many influencers are not medical professionals and should not be treated as an authority when making healthcare decisions. Always consult with a healthcare professional when seeking treatment for medical conditions. Remember to do your own research before purchasing products recommended by influencers, and always consider the financial incentive an influencer may have for promoting a product.

The lies and misinformation propagated by Belle Gibson and The Liver King are just two examples of how wellness influencers can pose a serious risk to the health of their followers while simultaneously picking their pockets.