As Apple Cider Vinegar – the story of blogger and influencer Belle Gibson – continues to dominate the Netflix charts, we take a look at other men and women who have faked pregnancies, careers and even their own deaths
The story of Belle Gibson – the influencer who pretended she had brain cancer as well as faking the fact she ‘cured’ it with alternative therapies – is still gripping viewers of Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar, but it’s not the only time a conman or woman has made the news.
Just this week, a British woman was found guilty of conning her friends and family out of £12k by tricking them into thinking she was getting married in Turkey. Charlotte Blackwell, 31, even created fake documents and emails to back up her lies but was found out when a relative spotted a spelling mistake and became suspicious.
Here we take a look at a few other fantastic fakers, from the man who pretended he was an MI5 agent to the famous British politician who even faked his own death.
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Woman who faked her twin pregnancy
Just this month, Brit Libby Vernon was found guilty of faking the birth and death of her twins. The 23-year-old was jailed for six months and handed a restraining order after concocting a web of lies involving a fake newborn baby death and miscarriage of twins.
She even sent her partner a photo of a plaque with the names of fake babies and a false death certificate to convince him her fake newborn had died. But, her lies caught up with her when family members commented on how her bump ‘didn’t look right’ and suggested she go to hospital.
Man who faked being in MI5
In the 1990s and the early 2000s, Robert Hendy-Freegard, aka David Hendy, was a British con man who ruined numerous lives while posing as an MI5 agent. For 10 years, Hendy-Freegard, nicknamed The Puppetmaster, preyed on the weaknesses of his victims, conning them into believing he was a James Bond-style MI5 spy. He lured them away from their families and tricked them into handing over £1 million before being sent to prison for life in 2005.
Woman who faked cancer and recovery
Australian blogger and influencer Belle Gibson’s story is currently the subject of Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar. Belle is based on Annabelle Gibson who fooled the world into thinking she had brain cancer and used her social media platforms as a way of inspiring others to find a holistic cure for their conditions. The 33-year-old is a convicted scammer from Australia who created The Whole Pantry mobile app and its companion cookbook.
Man who faked romance
British Ayleen Charlotte was tricked by the Tinder Swindler, and her story was the subject of the 2022 Netflix documentary, “The Tinder Swindler,” watched by millions of people around the world. Her love story with convicted fraudster Simon Leviev started when she was swiping on the dating app and found a match. She lost over £100,000 and was one of multiple women who fell for his charm.
Canoe man who faked his own death
Who remembers The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe – the four-part drama shown on ITV which was based on John Darwin the ‘canoe man’ who faked his own death so his wife could claim his life insurance?
Darwin was a former teacher and prison officer from Hartlepool, England, who disappeared while canoeing in 2002, only to reappear years later. Even the couple’s sons were fooled by his fake death, but husband and wife were eventually caught and sent to prison for six years.
British Politician who faked his death
John Stonehouse was a British MP who faked his own death to start a new life with his mistress in Melbourne in the 1970s. Called Stonehouse, the MPs story was broadcast on ITV and ITVX in 2023. Starring Succession actor Matthew Macfadyen and Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes, the series explored the rise and fall of John Stonehouse, the Labour MP who faked his own death in 1974.
The 49-year-old politician had made it look like he had drowned at sea or been eaten by sharks by leaving a pile of his clothes on Miami beach. But he’d actually left the country to be with his secretary, Sheila Buckley, in Australia. Cops finally caught up with him, and he was sent to prison before suffering a heart attack in 1988, which killed him.
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