Apple Cider Vinegar: Where is Belle Gibson's partner Clive now?

If you watch one thing this week, make it Apple Cider Vinegar. The new series just dropped on Netflix and is a dramatisation of the real life story of Belle Gibson. Gibson is an Australia influencer who found fame in telling her thousands of followers she had cured her cancer from alternative therapies, and a healthy lifestyle. Except, she hadn't ever been diagnosed with cancer at all.

The new series which stars Kaitlyn Dever in the lead role, is inspired by Belle's life, covering everything her rise to fame, the creation of her app The Whole Pantry and her eventual downfall when her lies were uncovered.

During we also watch Belle develop a relationship with a man named Clive, but is Clive a real person? And if so what was his relationship with Belle Gibson? And what's he up to now? Here's all the details you need to know.

Who is Clive in Apple Cider Vinegar?

In the series the character of Clive is a big part of Belle's life. We first meet Clive, played by Ashley Zukerman, in episode two of the series. Clive and Belle quickly begin a romantic relationship and he helps her move out of her flat with Nathan.

The two end up living together and Clive supports her while she makes her app and furthers her Instagram following and works towards her recipe book. He acts as a supportive step-dad to her young son, and they try for a second baby. In the third episode Belle miscarries.

By the fourth episode their relationship has begun to degrade, with Clive telling Belle his parents think he should leave her and they don't believe she has cancer.

What was Clive's involvement with Belle Gibson in real life?

As with most drama series based on true stories there's an element of dramatisation, and it's not exactly known how close the real Clive and Belle were.

At one point there were rumours the pair were engaged, however, when Gibson appeared in court in 2019 (after she failed to pay the $410,000 fine she was given for making false claims about donating to charity), she swore under oath, she knew little about Rothwell, including what he did for a living. During her trial she denied they were romantically involved or engaged.

She did state, during the trial, Rothwell pays $600 each week towards the rent of the house they lived in together and she pays what she can. She also stated he pays for her legal fees, including $5,500 for lawyers who represented her in court, but that a large portion of it was a "gift".

Gibson also wrote a letter to the Department of Justice where she claimed she owed Rothwell $90,000, but when asked about it in court, said she didn't know what the money was for.

Where is the real Clive Rothwell now?

Rothwell has maintained a relatively low profile since Belle Gibson's trial in 2019 and in 2023 he was spotted moving into a new two bedroom apartment on a different side of town to where he lived with Gibson.

Apple Cider Vinegar is available on Netflix now