It’s been a decade since it was first revealed that the Australian influencer and wellness entrepreneur Belle Gibson did not, in fact, have a malignant brain tumour, despite her various public claims otherwise.
Now, Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar—a true-ish retelling of Belle’s story—is also shining a light on the broader, complicated culture of wellness influencers in Instagram’s earliest days. Specifically, show creators have used the character, 20-something-year-old cancer patient-turned-wellness-guru, Milla Blake (played by Alycia Debnham-Carey), to do so.
Is Milla Blake From Apple Cider Vinegar Based On A Real Person?
No, Milla Blake is not a real person but rather a fictional character created for the show.
Show creator, Samantha Strauss shared the inspiration behind the Apple Cider Vinegar-sphere withTudum, explaining that she was focussed on “looking at a whole tapestry of people across the wellness and medical spaces.”
She elaborated: “I’d say Milla is a portrait of influencers at the time … She’s someone who is desperately trying to save her own life and becomes blind to the truth because of it.”
Who Is Jessica Ainscough?
While Milla is fictional, some viewers have noted parallels between the character and real-life Epithelioid Sarcoma victim and blogger, Jessica Ainscough.
Following her diagnosis of a rare cancer in 2008, doctors concluded that they would need to amputate Jessica’s left arm. Jessica declined the surgery and instead decided to take a natural approach to her healing journey which involved dietary implementations such as an excess of raw juices and daily coffee enemas, per the ABC. Jessica’s approach is known as Gerson therapy (and draws parallels to the ‘Hirsch Therapy’ that Milla underwent in the series).
Jessica was formerly the online editor of the teen publication, DOLLY—a now-defunct magazine with similarities to girlfriend, the title Milla works for in the show.
Sadly, on February 26, 2015, Jessica lost her battle with Epithelioid Sarcoma, passing away at just 30 years of age.
