A Bollywood actress faked her death to raise awareness about cervical cancer and promote the HPV vaccine, but faced backlash and a lawsuit for the stunt.
Poonam Pandey’s staged death announcement aimed to highlight preventability of cervical cancer, directing followers to a now-deleted website for information.
Pandey told her followers, “I’m alive, I didn’t die because of cervical cancer.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t say that about the hundreds of thousands of women who have lost their lives because of cervical cancer. I’m here to tell you that, unlike other cancers, cervical cancer is preventable, all you have to do is get a test and you have to get HPV vaccine,” she continued.
“We can do all this and more to make sure there are no more lives lost to this disease,” added the Bollywood star.
She and her husband are being sued for orchestrating a false death conspiracy.
A commenter wrote, “Exploiting a serious issue like cervical cancer for cheap publicity is absolutely disgraceful. Using your platform to spread awareness is commendable, but faking your own death is a new low. Respect for real survivors and victims matters more than attention-seeking stunts. #Disappointed.”
Pandey replied in a video, “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 a life and this disease needed the spotlight urgently,” she insisted.
“I am proud of what my death news has been able to achieve.”
Pandey said, “Unlike some other cancers, cervical cancer is entirely preventable. The key lies in the HPV vaccine and early detection tests. We have the means to ensure no one loses their life to this disease.
“Let’s empower one another with critical awareness and ensure every woman is informed about the steps to take,” concluded the actress.
The controversial act sparked criticism and demands for accountability, overshadowing the intended awareness message.
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