An Indian model sparked a huge backlash after confessing that she had faked her death in an Instagram post as part of a cervical cancer awareness campaign.
According to the statement announcing her death on friday, it said Poonam Pandey “bravely fought the disease” and died, but the fake announcement was soon met with online criticism that included accusations it was a “deceptive stunt”.
A flurry of obituaries from media outlets followed the original announcement and her Wikipedia page was also updated to reflect her apparent death, while Bollywood stars posted mournful tributes.
But others had expressed scepticism after noticing that footage of Pandey aboard a boat in Goa, apparently in good health, had been posted to her account four days before the announcement.
The 32-year-old conceded to her 1.3 million followers in another video posted on Instagram that her death had been a hoax.
“Yes, I faked my demise, extreme I know. But suddenly we all are talking about cervical cancer, aren’t we?” Pandey said.
“I am proud of what my death news has been able to achieve.”
However, many lambasted Pandey for what one commenter described as her “attention-seeking behaviour”.
Another wrote: “Engaging in a deceptive stunt, like faking one’s death, under the guise of ‘raising awareness’… is not only unethical but also manipulative.
Pandey began her modelling career in 2010 and has garnered a reputation for outlandish stunts and risque behaviour.
She pledged to strip for the India cricket team if they won the 2011 Cricket World Cup at home, later posting a video online of her shedding her clothes at Wankhede Stadium where the tournament’s final was held.
