Bollywood actress Poonam Pandey is alive and facing harsh criticism after she faked her death in an elaborate stunt.
A post shared on Pandey’s Instagram account on Feb. 2 claimed that the model died from cervical cancer.
But a day later, on Feb. 3, Pandey revealed she was fine and breathing as she shared why she pulled off the bizarre stunt.
“I’m alive. I didn’t die because of cervical cancer,” Pandey said. “Unfortunately, I cannot say that about those hundreds of thousands of women who have lost their lives because of cervical cancer.”
“It is not because they couldn’t do anything about it, it’s because they had no idea what to do about it.”
Pandey continued with her service announcement, saying cervical cancer was preventable, “unlike other cancers” and all women need to do is to get tested and an HPV vaccine.
Apologizing for those who were hurt by her “death,” Pandey said her only intention was to “shock everyone” and begin a conversation on the deadly disease.
“Yes, I faked my demise, extreme I know, but suddenly we are all talking cervical cancer, aren’t we?” she said in a follow-up video.
The revelation of the fake death hoax didn’t sit well with many as the model was called out for the publicity stunt.
“This is the most ridiculous way to promote something,” one commenter posted.
Another said: “Next time people won’t take you seriously, you just destroyed your entire credibility.”
Pandey, however, defended the hoax and said she wasn’t doing it to harm people because she had family members who also suffered from the disease.
“For those who are saying that I’m being insensitive, I’d like to tell you guys, my mother suffered cancer.”
“This unexpected turn of events, albeit startling, serves a greater purpose, Pandey said in a statement to her Instagram. “While I do understand how you would have perceived this in bad taste, I also implore you to consider the greater cause.”
“Before passing judgment on the act, I urge you to recognize the alarming concern burdening women worldwide. The sheer lack of awareness surrounding this issue was the mere reason that compelled me to take this unconventional step.”
“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,” Pandey added.
The initial post announcing her death is still on her Instagram feed.
