Where is Belle Gibson now and did she go to jail? The true story behind Apple Cider Vinegar

17 February 2025, 15:06 | Updated: 17 February 2025, 17:21

Where is Belle Gibson now? Did she go to jail? Picture: 60 Minutes Australia, Netflix

By Katie Louise Smith

Apple Cider Vinegar tells viewers to Google what happened to Belle Gibson in real life so here's your answer... Did Belle Gibson go to jail?

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Netflix's latest true story dramatisation offering, Apple Cider Vinegar, is a wild one.

Starring The Last of Us season 2 star Kaitlyn Dever, the Netflix series is dramatised retelling billed as being 'inspired by a true story' about Belle Gibson, an Australian influencer who went viral in 2013 after she claimed she had cured her terminal brain cancer through alternative therapies.

She built a wellness empire (The Whole Pantry) off the back of her story but in 2015, it was discovered that she was a fraud and had lied about the entire thing.

For the most part, the main Belle's storyline in the show is what happened in real life - as it's based of a book written about the real life Belle. In the final episode, the show even prompts viewers to go to Google to find out whether Belle ended up in jail after her lies.

So, here's your answer... Did the real Belle Gibson got to jail and where is she now?

Read more: What happened to Belle Gibson's son in real life?
Read more: What happened to Belle Gibson and Clive Rothwell and are they still together?
Read more: Is Apple Cider Vinegar's Milla Blake a real person? Here's who inspired the character

Is Belle Gibson a real person? Where is she now?

Where is Belle Gibson now? Picture: 60 Minutes Australia, Netflix

Did the real Belle Gibson go to jail? What was Belle Gibson charged with?

In the Netflix series, the last we see of Belle on-screen is when she's sitting down for that infamous 60 Minutes interview. Right at the end of the show, Belle breaks the fourth wall again.

Words appears on the screen reading: "In 2017, the Federal Court of Australia found Belle Gibson guilty of misleading and—." The screen then cuts off, Belle reappears and says: "You know what? You can Google it."

The real Belle Gibson – who the Apple Cider Vinegar character is based on – was not involved in the production of the series. The show is actually a fictionalised drama series inspired by journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano's book, The Woman Who Fooled the World, which was written after they exposed Belle as a fraud.

So, what happened IRL? The real life Belle did not go to prison. She was found guilty of being "misleading" and "deceptive" in her claims of being able to cure cancer via natural remedies, and ended up facing huge fines.

Truth or lies? The real-life Belle Gibson | 60 Minutes Australia

Where is Belle Gibson now?

After being exposed as a fraud, Belle tried to wipe all traces of herself and her lies from social media.

Following the federal judge ruling in 2017, she was hit with a fine of $410,000 AUD. As a part of that ruling, she was also ordered to pay $150,000 for failure to donate to the Schwarz family, who she said she would give 100% of a week's worth of proceeds from the sales of the Whole Pantry app.

However, by 2018 she still hadn't paid the fine and ended up facing a trial or jail time. In 2019, she appeared on trial and that was the last time she spoke about the whole thing publicly.

In 2020, Belle's home was reportedly raided due to unpaid fines of over $500,000. She said she couldn't pay them. At the time, a spokesperson for Consumer Affairs Victoria said Belle would be pursued until her debt was "repaid in full".

Shortly after the raid, it was discovered that Belle Gibson was now living under a different name ("Sabontu"), and had immersed herself into the Ethiopian Oromo community in Melbourne.

After Dr Tarekegn Chimdi, the head of the community, was informed of her real identity, he asked her to leave the group.

As of 2025, Belle is currently not on any form of social media.

Where is Belle Gibson's son now? What happened to him? Picture: Netflix

Where is Belle Gibson's son now? Did he die?

The whereabouts of Belle Gibson's son are currently unknown. As of 2025, he's around 14 years old today and it appears as though he has been shielded from the public eye since his mother's scandal.