Netflix documentary on Belle Gibson faking cancer being filmed in Melbourne
A US actor is believed to have been cast to play cancer con artist Belle Gibson in a six-part Netflix documentary explaining the shocking cancer claims.
Fiona Byrne
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Dopesick, Unbelievable and Booksmart star Kaitlyn Dever is believed to have been cast to play cancer con artist Belle Gibson in a six part drama series based on the shonky wellness warrior’s life.
Dever, 26, is understood to be in Melbourne working on the series which is being made for Netflix.
Filming started last week.
Netflix is yet to confirm, or make any official announcement, about the project.
The American actor is also known for her roles in Justified, Last Man Standing, Ticket to Paradise and No One Will Save You.
The Sunday Herald Sun revealed last week that Netflix was working on a Belle Gibson project in Melbourne.
The series, of which there has been little mention of in media or industry sites, has the working title of Apple Cider Vinegar and is being produced by See-Saw Films.
Previous TV productions with the See-Saw polish include Top Of The Lake, Heartstopper and Slow Horses.
Films produced by the company include Lion, Foe and the Oscar winning The King’s Speech.
The impressive cast includes at least one other international actor and a strong line-up of local talent.
While the production is very much under the radar, plenty of people are talking about it.
Gibson played out her cancer scam between 2013 and 2015.
Then a young mum in 2013, she claimed she had multiple cancers, including brain cancer, and was successfully managing them through diet, exercise, natural medicine and natural therapies.
She launched a hugely successful app, landed a book deal and published a cookbook through which she spouted her beliefs, recipes, and what she claimed was her life story.
But when she failed to come good on a promised charitable donation people started to look into her claims and her story fell apart.
In 2015, in an interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly, Gibson admitted to having made up her cancer claims.
Consumer Affairs Victoria went after her and was ordered in 2017 by the Federal Court of Australia to pay $410,000.
In 2020 she resurfaced claiming to have been adopted by the Ethiopian community in Melbourne after volunteering for four years.
A community leader quickly shut down her claims.
Know more or spotted the show being filmed?
Fiona.Byrne@news.com.au
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