A man claiming to have worked alongside Belle Gibson at a Melbourne supermarket has told how the cancer scammer encouraged shoppers to buy vegetarian food, would meditate in the chilled storage room and believed it was vaccines that actually caused cancer.
The co-worker, who has requested his name not be used, told Woman’s Day he worked with Belle between 2023 and 2024, when she was employed on the deli counter.
“I didn’t recognise her until the last week of me working there,” he tells. “I said, ‘Do you remember Belle Gibson? You look like her.’ Her whole face just dropped and her calm demeanour changed.
“She didn’t say yes. She didn’t say no. She just kind of freaked out a little bit.”
While it’s not known if this woman is actually the disgraced blogger and wellness influencer – who’s currently the subject of the hit Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar – her behaviour appears to confirm it is.
Wearing a “Mel” name tag, she was always passionate about the food and advising customers on healthy living.
“She was vegetarian and would often get into it with customers about vegetarian alternatives for different food,” claims her co-worker.
“With regulars, she knew their order, but any time there was a new person who asked for salami or ham, she would offer them a vegan or vegetarian alternative. She got a lot of people to try the vegan cheese!”
Describing “Mel” as “very nice” and “sweet”, he adds, “The oldies loved her because she would be recommending different stuff that would be better on their digestion.
“She always remembered regulars’ orders and people by name. Customers loved her – she was great at her job.
“She was always in charge of the cheese platters – things that people could order and she would then make an arrangement. She was really passionate about food as well as food arrangement.”
Belle rose to fame amid her claims she had overcome terminal brain cancer through natural remedies and a healthy lifestyle. She later admitted she falsified her diagnosis.
Her co-worker alleges he also witnessed his colleague requesting to be paid in cash.
“She often asked and her boss would pay her in cash almost every time,” he claims. “Maybe that’s part of her being in hiding.”
Spiritual and liked
The supermarket worker describes the woman he worked with as preoccupied with her health.
“She kept saying, ‘A lot of the vaccines give you cancer and that’s why the government went with AstraZeneca.’
“She was also really into swimming and would go to the aquatic centre. Apparently she liked swimming there because it was really quiet in the water – she didn’t have to talk to anybody.”
“Mel” was also “very spiritual” and often wore a headscarf, which she took off at work, the co-worker tells.
“She would sit in the fridge and listen to a guided meditation-type thing. Often, she called it a ‘reverse sauna’. She would turn the fridge temperature down for 10 minutes to do it.
“One time, she forgot to turn it back to where it was supposed to be and she froze all the meat. The boss felt pretty upset.”
In 2017, Australia’s Federal Court found Belle guilty of engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct. They subsequently fined her $456,000, plus $33,000 in legal costs, which she is yet to pay.
The co-worker says that, in hindsight, “Mel” was “very secretive” about her life. She didn’t attend staff gatherings and would give little away about herself.
“She was much more interested in other people. I didn’t know very much about her at all, but I really liked her.”
Jessica’s dad tells: ‘It’s all lies!’
The grieving father of Jessica Ainscough, who died in 2015 after suffering a rare cancer, has hit out at Netflix for their “appalling” portrayal of his beloved daughter.
“They have chosen to create a dramatised story in which Jess and my family are inaccurately portrayed,” says Col Ainscough.
Apple Cider Vinegar creator Samantha Strauss has confirmed that the character of Milla Blake is based on various wellness influencers who were popular during the early 2010s, including Jess.
But the Milla character has a significant amount in common with Jess’ real-life story – especially how she explored alternative medicines and that her mother Sharyn also died of cancer.
“I find it insensitive and very clearly profit-driven, with wildly inaccurate fictional writing about a deeply real and personal tragedy,” says Col, 72.
“Jess and Belle Gibson were never friends. Linking Jess’ name to Belle is just appalling. Jess doesn’t deserve this to tarnish her legacy.”
Stream Apple Cider Vinegar today on Netflix.
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