Indian actress and model Poonam Pandey, 32, faked her own death on Instagram on Saturday, February 3, 2024 to raise awareness about cervical cancer.
The saga began with the publication of a statement on Instagram announcing the death of Poonam Pandey.
“We have lost our beloved Poonam,” the document read, adding that the influencer had “courageously fought the illness.”
Indian media quickly relayed this news, and even the actress’s Wikipedia page was updated, while many Bollywood stars paid tribute to her.
However, soon after the news of Poonam Pandey’s death broke, netizens started doubting the story. Several people claimed to have seen recent images of the model, in perfect health, on a boat in Goa, only a few days before the disastrous announcement, media reports.
The day after the note was published, Poonam Pandey re-emerged with a video posted on Instagram, declaring, “I am alive.”
While receiving a lot of criticism, the influencer posted a second video to explain that “Yes, I faked my disappearance, it’s extreme, I know. But suddenly we’re all talking about cervical cancer ‘uterus, right?’ This justification left many netizens perplexed, with some blaming Poonam Pandey for lying and using cancer to create buzz.
While the model says she is “proud of what the announcement of her death was able to accomplish”, many wonder if this means was really necessary to highlight a cause as crucial as women’s health.
It should be noted, however, that the actress’ initiative took place in a context where India represents almost a quarter of global cases of cervical cancer, according to the WHO cited by BFMTV.
Furthermore, according to thePastor Institute“Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide.”
This initiative comes in a context where India represents almost a quarter of global cases of cervical cancer, according to the WHO, reports BFMTV.
