The new Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar is getting plenty of buzz for telling the “true-ish” story of Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever), an Australian influencer who created a wellness empire after claiming she cured her cancer through healthy eating and lifestyle switches. (Belle later confessed that she never had the disease.) But in the show, Belle isn’t the only person who speaks out about cancer: There’s also fellow influencer Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), who was diagnosed with a sarcoma in her early 20s and attempts to use holistic remedies to cure her illness.
Given that Belle Gibson is a real person, it’s fair to wonder if Milla Blake is real—or at least inspired by someone real. Here’s the deal.
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Is Milla from ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ based on a real person?
Milla from Apple Cider Vinegar is based on several people, according to series creator Samantha Strauss.
“I’d say Milla is an portrait of influencers at the time,” Samantha told Netflix’s Tudum. “She’s someone who is desperately trying to save her own life and becomes blind to the truth because of it.”
But Milla was inspired by Jessica Ainscough, an Australian influencer nicknamed “The Wellness Warrior” who was vocal about treating her cancer with holistic methods, says actress Alycia Debnam-Carey, who played Milla.
“Milla is an amalgamation of wellness influencers at the time,” she told TODAY. “We created Milla as her own thing. That was what was so great about it… we could boost her up so that she could be going toe-to-toe with Belle.”
In the series, Milla is an editor at Girlfriend magazine who is diagnosed with a rare soft tissue sarcoma after discovering lumps in her arm. While Milla’s doctors recommend that she has her arm amputated to stop the cancer from spreading, Milla decides to use holistic methods for her treatment.
Milla’s father and doctors aren’t happy about her choice, but Milla’s mother and new boyfriend are supportive. So, Milla follows a plan set forth by the fictional “Hirsch Institute,” which includes a plant-based diet and several coffee enemas a day.
What kind of cancer did Jessica Ainscough have?
Jessica Ainscough, meanwhile, was an editor at Dolly magazine who was diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma (a rare soft tissue cancer) when she was 23, according to The Guardian. Jessica’s doctors originally recommended that she have her arm amputated at the shoulder to increase her odds of survival.
Instead, Jessica tried chemotherapy, which did not work for her, as she told Integrative Nutrition in 2012. Her doctors again recommended amputation, and she instead turned to a holistic treatment called “Gerson Therapy.” That treatment plan involves a vegetarian diet, daily coffee enemas, and supplements. (Gerson Therapy is not scientifically proven to work, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.)
Jessica ended up forming a devoted online fanbase and wrote a book called Make Peace with Your Plate: Change Your Life One Meal at a Time.
Is the Hirsch Institute real?
No, the Hirsch Institute—where Milla gets her treatment plan from—is not real. However, it seems to be based on the “Gerson Therapy” plan that Jessica followed in real life.
Her mom really had cancer, too.
In the show, Milla’s mom Tamara (Susie Porter) is diagnosed with cancer. And, unfortunately, Jessica’s mother Sharyn was also diagnosed with breast cancer, per The Guardian. After her diagnosis, Sharyn also started following Gerson Therapy. She died in 2013, two years before Jessica did.
What happened to Jessica Ainscough?
Jessica died in February 2015 at the age of 30 of her untreated cancer. An announcement on her Instagram page said that she spent seven years “thriving with cancer” before her death.
Before her death, Jessica regularly posted on her website, which is no longer online. The year after her mother died, Jessica wrote in her blog (per The Guardian) that, “For the first time in my almost seven-year journey with cancer, this year I’ve been really unwell. I’ve lived with cancer since 2008 and for most of those years my condition was totally stable.”
But Jessica said that her cancer “started to become aggressive again” adding that “things really started flaring up” after her mother died. “For the past few months, I’ve been pretty much bedridden,” she said. Jessica died just a few months later.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
