Actor Fakes Death For Cause Awareness And Gets Major Backlash
When it comes to raising awareness for a certain cause or event, there are plenty of ways that celebrities can use their voices to spread the word. This, however, is probably the least effective and completely misguided way of doing so, as Indian actress Poonam Pandey is facing backlash from every corner of the internet for faking her death to get the word out there about the seriousness of cervical cancer. You read that right; she faked her own death – allowing her followers to believe that she had passed away – only to reveal one day later that it was all a sort of PR stunt.
Model And Actress Poonam Pandey Faked Her Death
It all started when a tragic message appeared on Poonam Pandey’s Instagram account, which appeared to be a statement from her loved ones announcing that the actress had died after battling cervical cancer. The post said things like “Every living form that ever came in contact was met with pure love and kindness,” and even asked that the public honor the family’s right to privacy as they began the grieving process. Essentially, though, Pandey was watching the comments roll in from the sidelines in a sort of Tom Sawyer-like move.
The Public Was Immediately Suspicious
Not only did comments pour in from followers and those who had never met Poonam Pandey, but there were also messages from those close to her, struck with utter disbelief that she had succumbed to the illness so quickly. Many were quick to point out that cancer is typically not a disease that will quickly kill its victim and that things seemed a bit fishy, while others chastised those who were suspicious. But, in the end, those who felt that something was off would have their speculations confirmed just one day later when Pandey revealed that she was not dead after all.
Poonam Pandey Explained Why She Faked Her Death
Coming in hot, the very next day Poonam Pandey posted a video of her – very much alive – addressing the camera face-on. Starting the clip by announcing, “I’m alive,” the actress went on to say that, while she may still be counted among the living, the same couldn’t be said for “those hundreds and thousands of women who have lost their lives because of cervical cancer.” She went on to explain that the disease is completely preventable should you have access to the HPV vaccine and stay up to date on testing.
No One Was Happy About The Death Prank
Let’s just say that the internet didn’t respond well to the amount of emotional whiplash that Poonam Pandey caused with her followers flocking to the comment section – not to share their gratitude for the star’s “work” on spreading the word, but to slam her for an insane PR stunt. From “disgraceful” to “an absolute joke,” folks shared their anger with how Pandey decided to go about announcing her fake death, causing troubling amounts of worry for those who had supported her career.
Did Poonam Pandey End Her Career?
As the weekend unfolded, Poonam Pandey only continued to dig herself into a hole, standing by her decision to spread awareness in the most unhinged way imaginable. A follow-up post asked her audience to take a look at the bigger picture to understand why she did something that seemed so outlandish. Still, it seems like the actress will have a rough time separating herself from this negative press and bouncing back into a full career in Indian cinema as one of the hottest stars on the rise.
