05 February 2024 , 10:20
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Bollywood star Poonam Pandey has come under fire after it was revealed .
On Friday, 32-year-old Pandey’s management team released a statement on Instagram claiming she’d died. It read: “This morning is a tough one for us. 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.”
Her manager Nikita Sharma then told local media: “Poonam Pandey, the beloved actress and social media personality, has tragically passed away this morning due to cervical cancer, leaving the entertainment industry in shock and mourning. Her unwavering spirit amidst her health struggles was truly remarkable.”
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Bollywood star Poonam Pandey has come under fire after it was revealed she faked her own death for a publicity stunt (Getty Images)
On Friday, 32-year-old Pandey’s management team released a statement on Instagram claiming she’d died (poonampandeyreal /Instagram)However, Pandey has since confirmed she’s alive and that the fake death announcement was part of a campaign to raise awareness about cervical cancer. Over the weekend, Pandey shared a video with her 1.3million Instagram followers in which she said: “Suddenly we all are talking about cervical cancer, aren't we?” The model also insisted she was “proud” of the publicity stunt and “what it achieved”.
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However, Pandey was swiftly met with furious backlash, with one person writing beneath her social media clip: “Worst PR stunt, you could have done [this] a better way. [This is] such a sensitive topic for so many cancer patients. Highly not appreciated.” Another added: “Absolutely disgraceful. Using your platform to spread awareness is commendable, but faking your own death is a new low.” Someone else echoed: “What an absolute joke,” while other angry remarks included, “This is very disrespectful to those who have actually lost their loved ones due to cervical cancer. Terrible way to do it,” and, “You could’ve thought of some better way to promote such a sensitive concern [...] saddened by the fact that you chose to play with people’s emotions.”
Schbang - the social media agency behind the campaign - issued an apology to anyone “triggered” by Pandey’s fake death stunt on Saturday, according to . Alongside statistics showing the prevalence of cervical cancer in India, Schbang said: “Our actions were driven by a singular mission - to elevate awareness about cervical cancer.” Schbang also pointed out Pandey’s mother had battled cancer and insisted the actress “understands the importance of prevention and the criticality of awareness, especially when there's a vaccine available".
Pandey most recently appeared on the reality show Lock Upp and made her Bollywood debut in the film Nasha in 2013. She shot to fame two years earlier when she vowed to strip for Team India if they won the ICC Cricket World Cup.