Uproar as model, actor, Poonam Pandey, reveals she faked her own death

A controversial model and actor has apologised after a post on her social media account stated she had died – but she has defended her actions.

Bollywood model Poonam Pandey faked he own death. Picture: Instagram.

A renowned – and sometimes controversial – Bollywood actor and model has apologised after she admitted that an announcement on her social media accounts that she had died of cancer was made up.

But Poonam Pandey, who became famous after she said she would strip naked for the Indian cricket team if it won the World Cup, has defended her actions.

The news of Pandey’s supposed death from cervical cancer was posted to her Instagram page, followed by 1.3 million people, on Friday. It led to an outpouring of grief including from Bollywood stars.

But on Sunday, Pandey reappeared and declared: “I’m alive”.

She stated that the fake death post was “to shock everyone into the conversation that we are not talking enough about – cervical cancer”.

The reality TV star, along with the marketing comapnies that dreamt up the death announcement, have since apologised after a backlash from Pandey’s followers.

Bollywood model Poonam Pandey faked he own death. Picture: Instagram.

The death drama began last week when an Instagram post stated Pandey had passed away on Thursday, local time in Mumbai, India.

“This morning is a tough one for us,” the post read.

“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.

“In this time of grief, we would request for privacy while we remember her fondly for all that we shared.”

The Indian press had reported Pandey’s manager Nikita Sharma as saying she was diagnosed with the disease “some time ago”.

She added that Pandey’s death was “tragic” and has left the “entertainment industry in shock and mourning,” reported NDTV.

However, people were immediately perplexed as the cancer diagnosis had not been made public and Pandey had been seen – seemingly at the peak of health – in a social media post just days before.

Indeed, since New Year, her Instagram account had been updated around 15 times with videos from various events. And yet it was claimed she was at death’s door at the time.

Pandey found fame in 2011 at a beauty contest. Picture: Instagram.

She courted controversy after posting naked videos. Picture: Instagram

Suspicions

“How is this possible? How could someone die of a cancer instantly?” asked one.

“How can a person who is suffering from cancer look so healthy and also dies all of a sudden?” said another.

However, others mourned the star’s passing.

Fellow Bollywood star Ranaut said: “This is so sad. Losing a young woman to cancer is a catastrophe”.

Another remarked: “This is where we get to learn that you don’t know what someone is going through in private but still always had a smile in public”.

Pandey: “I am alive!”

On Sunday, Pandey uploaded a video to the same social media account declaring the whole thing has been designed to raise awareness of ways to treat cervical cancer.

“I am alive. I didn’t die of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the hundreds and thousands of women who have lost their lives due to cervical cancer,” she stated.

The outrage was instantaneous, however.

“This has literally been turned into a joke for the actual cancer survivors. Distasteful,” said one.

“Next time people won’t take you seriously, you just destroyed your entire credibility,” said another.

“Shameful act for cheap publicity. Any way RIP in advance”.

The person who gave Poonam Pandey this ridiculous idea should be ashamed. Despite having many ways to spread awareness, they chose the pathetic one. Death is no joke, there are no words to describe it.

— Aditi. (@Sassy_Soul_) February 3, 2024

Poonam Pandey receiving a well deserved award pic.twitter.com/fyVmV938Dp

— Sagar (@sagarcasm) February 3, 2024

According to news website Indian Express actor Babil Khan, son of Bollwyood legend Ifran Khan, said the whole stunt “feels wrong”.

“I don’t know what the f**k that was about Poonam Pandey’s demise.

“It is making me feel really angry. Awareness can be spread, faking statements of death should not be something that we rely upon to do so as individuals in a collective society.”

As the anger grew, Pandey then issued an apology, saying “I am sorry to those I have hurt,” albeit justifying it because it had left to people to “talk about cervical cancer”.

The marketing companies behind the false death rouse – Schbang and Hauterrfly – also issued an apology.

“We would like to extend a heartfelt apology – especially towards those who have been triggered as a result of having faced/having a loved one face the hardships of any kind of cancer.”

The firms said the stunt was “driven by a singular mission” to raise awareness of the condition.

Nude shoot

Born in 1991 in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, 500km south east of Delhi, Pandey, rose to fame when she reached the finals of India’s annual Gladrags Manhunt and Megamodel Contest in 2011 then appeared on the cover of the Gladrags fashion magazine.

Pandey first courted controversy in 2011 when she said she would strip for India’s cricket team if they won the World Cup.

The team did indeed win but Pandey didn’t strip for them due of the outrage caused by her promise. However, she did load a video onto social media of her stripping at the Wankhede cricket stadium in Mumbai at night.

Pandey then did various nude shoots and stunts. They turbocharged her following but also led to criticism.

In 2013 she starred in the Bollywood film Nasha where she played the lead role of a schoolteacher who one of her students becomes obsessive over.

She went onto star in multiple other Indian films as well as the reality TV shows Fear Factor in 2011 and Lock Upp in 2022.

Pandey was a semi-finalist in the latter show, where controversial celebrities become “prisoners” and have to battle for rewards.

Some fans were in disbelief over Poonam Pandey’s death post.

Pandey justified the rouse as it rose awareness of cervical cancer. Picture: Instagram.

Australia’s cervical cancer success

Cervical cancer starts in the cervix which is in the lower part of the uterus. The human papillomavirus, also called HPV, is linked to most cervical cancer cases.

The HPV virus is passed through sexual contact with the immune system almost always neutralising it. But in a small number of cases the virus can survive and it can then be a factor in turning cervical cells cancerous.

In Australia, in the 1980s, it was the sixth most common cancer among women. But cervical cancer rates have since fallen dramatically.

That success has been put down to the rollout of both the National Cervical Screening Program and offering young people the HPV vaccine.

Some researchers have suggested that Australia could be the first country to eliminate cervical cancer, sometime in the mid-2030s.