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Pandey announces his death due to the disease on Instagram, sparking a flurry of reports and obituaries. A day later, she says it was a hoax.
An Indian model sparked an online backlash after revealing she had faked her death in an Instagram post as part of a cervical cancer awareness campaign.
Poonam Pandey “bravely fought the disease” and died, according to a statement posted on her social media on Friday, but the fake announcement was soon met with online criticism that included accusations that it was a “deceptive stunt.”
A flurry of media obituaries followed the original announcement and his Wikipedia page was also updated to reflect his apparent death, while Bollywood stars posted sad tributes.
But others had expressed skepticism after noticing that four days before the announcement, images of Pandey aboard a boat in Goa, apparently in good health, had been posted on his account.
On Saturday, the 32-year-old admitted to her 1.3 million followers in another video posted on Instagram that her death had been a hoax.
“Yes, I faked my death, extreme, I know. But suddenly we’re all talking about cervical cancer, right? Pandey said. “I’m proud of what my passing news has been able to accomplish.”
#PoonamPandey raised awareness about 3 important things:
1) cervical cancer
2) The Laundry Room of Death – When someone is (presumably) dead, everyone will say good things about them. Things they never do when the person is alive.
3) The fall of the mainstream media – They will publish anything…– Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) February 3, 2024
However, many criticized Pandey for what one commentator described as his “attention-seeking behavior.”
Another wrote: “Engaging in a deceptive stunt, such as faking one’s own death, under the guise of ‘raising awareness’… is not only unethical but also manipulative.
“Honestly, you are embarrassed by this trick. Next time no one will take your real death seriously! they said.
Pandey began his modeling career in 2010 and has earned a reputation for his extravagant stunts and daring behaviors.
She vowed to strip for the Indian cricket team if they won the 2011 Cricket World Cup at home, and later posted a video online of her stripping off at the Wankhede Stadium, where the tournament final was held.
Pandey parlayed her fame into several acting credits in Bollywood, including the 2013 erotic thriller Nasha, in which she played a teacher who begins a sexual relationship with two high school students.
India accounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s cervical cancer cases, according to the World Health Organization, and more than 200 women lose their lives every day to the disease.
Health advocates have urged the government to launch a national HPV vaccination campaign for young girls, which in other countries has dramatically reduced the incidence of cervical cancer.
In his Instagram post on Saturday, Pandey shared a short clip showing a speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the government’s support for cervical cancer vaccination in the 2024 budget.