Actor and model is being condemned for the stunt, which has been branded ‘insensitive’ and ‘morally reprehensible’ by her followers and medical professionals
A scandal has erupted in India after it was revealed that Bollywood actor and model Poonam Pandey is still alive after a statement was shared to her Instagram account claiming she had died from cervical cancer.
On Friday 2 February, a post from Pandey’s official account, which has more than 1.3 million followers, said she had died from cervical cancer at the age of 32.
“This morning is a tough one for us,” the statement said.
“Deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer. Every living form that ever came in contact with her was met with pure love and kindness.”
The news was later “confirmed” by Pandey’s team to a number of Indian national news outlets including NDTV and News18, while her manager Nikita Sharma hailed her “unwavering spirit amidst her health struggles” in a statement to the press. The news was reported on by dozens of media outlets, including The Independent.
However, Pandey has now shared a series of posts and videos announcing that she is, in fact, not dead, and that the report was a publicity stunt supposedly intended to raise awareness of cervical cancer screenings.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A scandal has erupted in India after it was revealed that Bollywood actor and model Poonam Pandey is still alive after a statement was shared to her Instagram account claiming she had died from cervical cancer.
However, Pandey has now shared a series of posts and videos announcing that she is, in fact, not dead, and that the report was a publicity stunt supposedly intended to raise awareness of cervical cancer screenings.
In a separate post Pandey, who is originally from Kanpur, northern India, acknowledged the controversy surrounding the stunt, writing: “I understand that the recent news of my supposed demise due to cervical cancer has taken a minute to digest and I appreciate the warmth and concern that the world has extended in the last 24 hours.
Pandey cited an Indian government pledge in this week’s Budget to improve uptake for cervical cancer screenings and HPV vaccinations, but claimed she could “say with certainty that only a small fraction would’ve registered it”.
Writing under a shared post by PR company Hauter Fly, doctor and author Tanaya Narendra, who has 1.5 million followers, objected to being cited in one of Pandey’s videos.
Munawar Faruqui, a stand-up comedian and Pandey’s fellow “inmate” on Lock Upp who eventually won the series, tweeted: “Can’t process the news.
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