What happened to Belle Gibson's son in real life?
23 February 2025, 17:24
Did Belle Gibson have a son in real life? Apple Cider Vinegar's ending shows Belle Gibson in Los Angeles with her son and partner Clive, but what actually happened after her scandal?
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Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar has sparked a slew of searches about the real Belle Gibson thanks to the absolutely bizarre true story behind the series.
Apple Cider Vinegar is "inspired by a true story" and based on the book The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, the journalists who exposed Belle for lying about curing her terminal brain cancer using wellness and natural remedies.
In the series, which is a dramatisation that features fictional characters and plots, Belle is depicted as a mother to a young son who she shared with ex-boyfriend Nathan and raised alongside partner Clive.
But did the real Belle Gibson have a son, and what happened to him in real life? Here's what we know.
- Read more: Where is Belle Gibson now and did she go to jail? The true story behind Apple Cider Vinegar
- Read more: Is Apple Cider Vinegar's Milla Blake a real person? Here's who inspired the character
- Read more: What happened to Belle Gibson and Clive Rothwell and are they still together?
Did Belle Gibson have a son in real life?
What happened to Belle Gibson's son in Apple Cider Vinegar?
Episode 2 flashes all the way back to 2010 when Belle first welcomed her son with then-boyfriend Nathan at the age of 18/19 (or 23, as the character claims).
Later down the line, Belle meets Clive and ends up splitting from Nathan. She and Clive then start a relationship and he becomes step-father to Belle's son.
Some of the scenes involving Belle and her son in the series are entirely fictionalised. Creator and writer Samantha Strauss explained that she used "creative licence" when writing the scene where Belle locks her young son in his room overnight while he’s sick.
After Belle's lies are exposed, Clive and Nathan discuss sharing custody of the young boy. However, Clive ends up staying with Belle and heads to California with her and their son.
In the final episode, the last we see of Clive and Belle's son is him playing in the pool of the Beverly Hills home where she filmed her 60 Minutes Australia interview.
The show then ends and doesn't disclose what happens next.
Did Belle Gibson have a son in real life?
Yep - the real Belle Gibson also has a son. Much like the Netflix show, she had him at the age of 18 with her then-boyfriend Nathan Corbett. Following their split, she started a relationship with Clive Rothwell and he became a step-father to her son.
Per reports from Australia media outlets, Clive paid for Belle and their son to go on a month-long trip to Africa in 2019. Since then, however, no other information is known about Belle Gibson's son.
In the Netflix series, Belle and Clive are shown sadly saying goodbye to their daughter following a devastating miscarriage and stillbirth.
In a 2015 interview with Woman's Weekly, the real life Belle strongly denied that this was something she had lied about. The interview noted that Belle was “visibly upset when questioned about [her miscarriage]" and refused to discuss it.
Where is Belle Gibson's son now?
Not much is know about Belle Gibson's son now as he appears to have been protected from the public eye following his mother's scandal. Belle is also not publicly on any form of social media
Her son is now around 14 years old.
Read more about Netflix here:
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- Is Netflix's La Palma based on a true story? The real life island and volcano explained
- How Were The Menendez Brothers Caught In Real Life? The True Story Explained
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