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Poonam Pandey was a beloved Bollywood actress. “Every form of life that ever came into contact with her was met with pure love and kindness,” her death announcement read on her Instagram Friday morning.
Except Pandey isn’t actually dead.
“I’m here, alive,” the actress wrote on Instagram one day after the news of her premature (and false) death became known. She admitted to the stunt on Saturday and then directed all the media attention toward her, which included heartfelt obituaries, thousands of sad comments and social media trending, toward cervical cancer, which she had previously said was the cause of his death”. “
“Poonam Pandey is ALIVE and well!” the actress wrote in a joint Instagram post with media group Hauterrfly, an Indian website aimed at millennial women. “Her bold act is intended to highlight the urgency of regular screening, early detection and the power of knowledge to defeat this silent menace.”
“Cervical cancer did not kill me, but tragically, it has claimed the lives of thousands of women due to lack of knowledge on how to tackle this disease,” Pandey wrote in her revelation.
The stunt, which attempted to portray Pandey as a fearless fighter for terminally ill women, backfired tremendously. Annoyed fans of hers called her an attention seeker and criticized her ridiculous deception.
“Exploiting a serious topic like cervical cancer for cheap publicity is horrible and shameful,” one angry fan commented. “Faking your own death is a new low.” Another added: “Next time people don’t take you seriously, you’ll just destroy all your credibility.”
Pandey, who previously accepted to causing “controversy” in an attempt to advance her fame, she was forced to issue an apology that was not entirely due to the backlash. She implied that angry fans were distracted by the shocking nature of the stunt and didn’t see the “greater purpose” she was “committing her entire body to.”
“While I understand that you may have perceived this as distasteful, I also implore you to consider the greater cause. Before passing judgment on the law, I urge you to recognize the alarming concern that plagues women around the world,” Pandey wrote.
She then assured her fans that her service was “not just talk” and said the “intervention was necessary,” pointing to headlines that cited cervical cancer as the cause of her “death.” In the days since, Pandey has promoted several infographics and posts related to cervical cancer awareness, while blatantly centering his own involvement.
Fans were not convinced. “Unfollow,” was the chorus of responses.