BENGALURU: Model and reality TV star Poonam Pandey is alive! A day after #PoonamPandey was trending on social media with the model's own team and manager announcing her death due to cervical cancer, the TV star has confirmed that she is very much alive.
Yesterday, a statement announcing her death owing to cervical cancer was put out on her official Instagram handle @poonampandeyreal. The 32-year-old, who was last seen on the reality show Lock Upp, "bravely fought the disease" and died this morning, her team said in a statement.
"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 manager Nikita Sharma said.
The post garnered a lot of attention, sparking shock and intense speculation because of the lack of details or any family statement. Further, many of the fans and followers pointed out how the news was out of the blue and unexpected. The actors friends and close kin disclosed how the actor seemed to be hale and healthy just two days ago.
However, today, in an Instagram video, the actor herself clarified that she is alive and well. And that, the whole incident was orchestrated to bring awareness on cervical cancer, the TV reality show fame claimed.
I am alive. I did not die because of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, I cannot say that about those hundreds and thousands of women who have lost their lives because of cervical cancer. It is not because they couldnt do anything about it but because they had no idea what to do about it. I am here to tell you that, unlike other cancers, cervical cancer is preventable. All you have to do is, you have to get your tests done and you have to get HPV vaccine.
The post was met with a lot of criticism and negative comments on how the actor lost her credibility, how the whole thing was a publicity stunt and so on.
Interestingly, the awareness-campaign by Pandey comes days after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman laid down government's plans for the health sector in the 2024 Interim Budget. On February 1, the finance minister announced the government's plans to focus on vaccination against cervical cancer for girls aged 9 to 14 as part of her Interim Budget 2024.
