The character of Lucy is based a fictional character and is not based on one person. Apple Cider Vinegar series creator Samantha Strauss wanted to show Belle's story is about more than just Belle and her lies, but the impact her influence had on many real people in the world and Lucy was the vehicle to show this.

Recounting the rise and fall of Belle Gibson, an Australian snake-oil saleswoman who made a name for herself via a wellness business that was predicated on lies and fraud, Apple Cider Vinegar is another entry in the burgeoning subgenre of stories about entrepreneurial female hucksters that also includes Inventing Anna and The Dropout.