Pandey announced his death due to the disease on Instagram, leading to a flood of reports and obituaries. A day later she says it was a hoax.

An Indian model has sparked backlash online after revealing she had faked her death in an Instagram post as part of a cervical cancer awareness campaign.

Poonam Pandey “bravely battled the disease” and died, a statement posted on her social media said on Friday, but the fake announcement soon drew criticism online, which included accusations that it was a “deceptive ploy “.

The original announcement was followed by numerous media obituaries and her Wikipedia page was also updated to reflect her apparent death, while Bollywood stars posted their words of mourning.

However, others had expressed skepticism after noticing that footage of Pandey on board a boat in Goa, apparently in good health, had been posted on her account four days before the announcement.

On Saturday, the 32-year-old admitted to her 1.3 million followers in another video posted on Instagram that her death was a fake.

“Yes, I faked my death, extreme, I know. But suddenly we’re all talking about cervical cancer, right?” said Pandey. “I am proud of what my death notice has accomplished.”

#PoonamPandey Raise awareness of three important things:
1) Cervical cancer
2) The Laundry of Death – When someone is (presumably) dead, everyone will say good things about them. Things they never do when the person is still alive.
3) The Decline of Mainstream Media – They Publish Everything…

– Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) February 3, 2024

However, many criticized Pandey for what one commentator described as her “attention-seeking behavior”.

Another wrote: “Perpetrating a fraudulent trick, such as faking your own death, under the guise of ‘awareness’ is not only unethical but also manipulative.”

“Honestly, I’m ashamed of this stunt. Next time no one will take your real death seriously!” They said.

Pandey began her modeling career in 2010 and has earned a reputation for outlandish stunts and risky behavior.

She promised to strip for the Indian cricket team if they won the 2011 Cricket World Cup at home, and later posted a video online of herself stripping at the Wankhede Stadium, where the final of the tournament was taking place.

Pandey parlayed her fame into several acting gigs in Bollywood, including the 2013 erotic thriller Nasha, in which she played a teacher who begins a sexual relationship with two high school students.

According to the World Health Organization, India accounts for nearly a quarter of all cervical cancer cases worldwide, with more than 200 women dying from the disease every day.

Health activists have called on the government to implement a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign for young girls, which has dramatically reduced the incidence of cervical cancer in other countries.

In her Instagram post on Saturday, Pandey shared a short clip showing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech on the government’s support for cervical cancer vaccination in Budget 2024.