An Indian model has sparked an online backlash after she faked her own death as part of a campaign to raise awareness about cervical cancer.
On Friday, Poonam Pandey’s official Instagram account issued a statement announcing the death of the 32-year-old, claiming she had “bravely fought the disease”.
But a day later it emerged that the reality TV star and Bollywood actor was alive and well and her “death” was nothing more than a stunt.
Footage showed Pandey ‘in good health’
After the Instagram post announcing Pandey’s “death” was made public, her manager Nikita Sharma appeared to confirm it in a media statement. Sharma praised her “unwavering spirit amidst her health struggles” and told journalists that there was a “critical need for increased awareness and proactive measures against preventable diseases like cervical cancer”.
The announcement prompted a “flurry of obituaries” from various media outlets, and Bollywood stars posted “mournful tributes”, said Al Jazeera. Pandey’s Wikipedia page was also updated to reflect her supposed death.
But scepticism soon arose online when some noticed footage of Pandey on a boat in Goa, “apparently in good health”, which had been posted to her account only four days before the announcement.
‘Yes, I faked my demise’
On Saturday, Pandey admitted to her 1.3 million followers that she had not died and confessed to faking her own death to raise awareness of cervical cancer.
“Yes, I faked my demise. Extreme, I know. But suddenly we all are talking about cervical cancer, aren’t we? I am proud of what my death news has been able to achieve,” she said in a social media post.
“Unlike some other cancers, cervical cancer is entirely preventable. The key lies in the HPV vaccine and early detection tests. We have the means to ensure no one loses their life to this disease. Let’s empower one another with critical awareness,” she wrote, urging her followers to “bring #DeathToCervicalCancer”.
Known for her outlandish stunts, Pandey gained fame in 2011 after promising to “strip for the Indian cricket team if they won the World Cup”, said Sky News.
In a subsequent post defending her actions, Pandey said: “Feel free to express your frustration – I understand. But this is not just lip service; instead, I’m committing my entire body to the service of cervical cancer.”
According to the World Health Organization, India accounts for up to a quarter of the world’s cervical cancer cases, with over 200 women losing their lives daily to the disease. Health campaigners are urging the Indian government to implement national HPV vaccinations for young girls, a move that “in the UK has cut the incidence of cervical cancer by 87% in women now in their 20s who were offered the vaccine between the ages of 12 and 13”, reported The Guardian.