Model, Poonam Pandey who faked her own death says she’s ‘proud’ of risky stunt

Poonam Pandey, a model who has appeared in Bollywood movies, has said she is “proud” of faking her own death as part of a publicity stunt.

It was reported on Friday, February 2 that Pandey had died from cervical cancer. However, it was later revealed that Pandey had in fact been taking part in a campaign to raise awareness “against preventable diseases like cervical cancer”.

A post was initially seen by fans after being addressed to her followers. 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."

Pandey’s 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."

Then, the day after the statement, Pandey revealed that it had been a hoax in order to raise awareness of cervical cancer.

Speaking to her followers in an Instagram video, she said: "I'm sorry I've caused this tear and I'm sorry to those whom I've hurt. My intention? To shock everyone into the conversation that we are not talking enough about. Which is cervical cancer. Yes, I faked my demise.

"Extreme, I know. But suddenly we all are talking about cervical cancer, aren't we? It's a disease that silently takes your life. And this disease needed the spotlight urgently. I'm proud of what my death news has been able to achieve.

"Let's empower one another with critical awareness and ensure every woman is informed about the steps to take."

Pandey also posted a follow-up video addressing the backlash the stunt had received, saying she was giving “my entire body to the service of cervical cancer”.

The caption read: “We believe in this cause and stand by this campaign that we started working on 4 months ago with the right intentions…”

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