Unpacking Netflix's Controversial Portrayal of the Wellness Industry - Belle Gibson & Apple Cider Vinegar

Is Netflix’s latest docuseries doing more harm than good when it comes to how we see the wellness industry?

In this episode, I’m diving into the controversial story of Belle Gibson—the influencer who built an empire on a fabricated cancer diagnosis. But beyond her shocking deception, there’s a bigger conversation to be had: How does the media’s portrayal of holistic health impact those who are actually doing the work to help people heal?

Holistic practices and modern medicine both play a role in real health outcomes. When we acknowledge the strengths—and the limitations—of each, we create space for a more informed, balanced approach. So let’s unpack the damage caused by frauds like Belle Gibson, stories like Apple Cider Vinegar, and the uphill battle legitimate holistic practitioners face in a world quick to dismiss them.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to the Purely Podcast.
I'm your host, nika Laurie.
Hey friends, nika here, so thisis now the Purely Podcast,
formerly known as Inspired, withNika Laurie.
I am bringing an episode alittle bit early.

(00:28):
I know I said that we wouldrelaunch on March 5th, but I
have some thoughts on somethingthat I want to share with you,
and I wanted to do it in atimely manner.
So here's the deal.
I finished watching Apple CiderVinegar the Netflix docuseries
on Belle Gibson.
Belle Gibson is an Australianwellness influencer who built a

(00:53):
wellness empire based off afictitious story.
She claimed that she had cancerand she was using holistic
approaches to wellness to manageand survive her cancer.
I want to be really, reallyclear.
What Belle Gibson did ishorrific.
It was a scam.
She manipulated people, shebuilt her empire off a total lie

(01:17):
, she stole from charities andshe devastated people's lives.
Countless number of people werehurt by her.
I have to say there's notreally a gray area on this.
It really is black and white.
What Belle Gibson did is notokay, but here's where I have
some thoughts.
The way Netflix and theproducers presented the story

(01:40):
really bothered me.
It felt like anyone whobelieves in holistic health or a
more natural approach towellness is completely
delusional.
It's like we're anti-sciencequacks and I've got to say I've
seen a lot of that in the mediaover the last couple of years,

(02:02):
especially because of the uneasypolitical environment we are
currently finding ourselves in.
But the way this show waspresented was that basically
anyone in the health andwellness world is a snake oil
salesman, and that just isn'tthe reality.
It's not true.

(02:23):
So I wanted to talk a littlebit today about the truth.
Here are the facts.
I want to give you both myopinion but also some real.
You know, this is the truth.
This is where things reallystand.
There is real science behindhow food, exercise and toxins
impact your health.

(02:43):
It's not some woo-woo science,it's called biochemistry.
It's real.
There are also real clinicaltreatments, actual medical
protocols where they starve thecancer by removing food that
fuels it.
But most people don't just usenutrition in place of chemo and

(03:04):
radiation.
They use it with thosetreatments in tandem.
They work together.
It's not one or the other inhealing is just as bad as Bell

(03:29):
Gibson.
It's like they were crazy.
But honestly I feel like thatapproach, that story, is just as
dangerous as what Bell Gibsondid.
Here's what really makes meangry People like Bell Gibson,
people who scam, who lie, whoexploit the sick.
They do damage to the holistichealth world.
They make it harder for realexperts, for the practitioners

(03:51):
who are actually helping people.
They create misinformation anddisinformation and they confuse
everyone.
And when the media overcorrectsor dismisses everything under
the natural health umbrella,they're doing damage too, maybe
just as much damage as someonelike Bell Gibson.

(04:11):
Here's the truth and anyonewho's legit in this space.
They already know it.
There is a real place for modernmedicine, but there is also a
real place for holistic health,and the best outcomes happen
when those two things worktogether.

(04:32):
Let me give you a few examples.
If you get into a car crash, goto the hospital.
Use modern medicine.
If you have cancer, things thatyou need to think about are
nutrition, how you're managingstress, detoxifying your body,
but also use modern treatments.

(04:54):
If you are struggling withsomething like autoimmune
disease, ibs or even diabetes,this is where modern medicine
tends to fail people, becausethe truth is the conventional
medical system.
It's designed to manage thesymptoms, not solve the root

(05:17):
cause problem.
That's making people sick and,to me, ignoring the root cause,
just slapping a prescriptionmedication on it and sending the
person on their way.
Well, that's just asirresponsible as what Bill
Gibson did.
That's where people suffer forno reason at all.
They don't need to.

(05:39):
And so, yeah, I have mixedfeelings on the show.
I have mixed feelings on howthe media has been presenting
the holistic wellness world.
I have mixed feelings on what'sgoing on with this crazy
political environment we're in.
But I think it's important foreveryone to know where the facts

(06:01):
lie.
We need to call out scammers,but it's also dangerous to
discredit an entire field ofhealth just because there's a
handful of frauds.
I want to be very clear here.
Yes, there are frauds in theholistic health space.
There's many of them.
But there are also frauds inthe modern medical system.

(06:23):
We have heard countless storieslike Dr Death, where people
have been murdered and hurt anddisfigured and mistreated going
through the modern medicalsystem.
There are countless stories andI mean countless stories of
people who were suffering from adisease or some kind of

(06:46):
sickness.
They went through the modernmedical system.
They went from doctor to doctorto expert to expert and they
were not helped.
They were given multiplemedications or sometimes
dismissed and not given anythingat all and sent out the door to
struggle.
They deserve better.
Many of them found functionalmedicine doctors or other

(07:08):
holistic practitioners whohelped them change their diet
and lifestyle and got better.
So it's true, we need both.
We need holistic health, weneed modern medicine, we need
technology, we need data, but wealso need to acknowledge that
what we eat, how we move, how wemanage our stress, what toxins

(07:32):
we're exposed to all of thosethings matter too.
It's not an either-orconversation.
It never has been.
We need both.
So obviously I have someopinions on this.
Have you seen the show?
I'd love to know what you thinkabout it.
Did the show rub you the wrongway?

(07:53):
It did to me.
Do you think they had a fairtake on it?
What are your thoughts aboutthe media coverage lately about
different holistic approaches tohealth?
Let me know.
Reach out to me at Purely onall the social media channels or
at Nika Laurie on all thesocial media channels, or email
me at info at purelycom.

(08:14):
I'd love to hear from you.
With that a reminder, we willbe back March 5th with the
official launch of the Purelypodcast.
I have so many fantastic guestslined up.
I can't wait to share thoseepisodes with you.
Thank you, as always, so muchfor listening and I'm here for
you, my friend.
I'll see you in the nextepisode.