© AFP
The striking news came on Friday: the Indian model Poonam Panday is said to have died as a result of cervical cancer. Now it turns out it was all staged for a very special reason.
Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 6:16 PM
It was the management of 32-year-old Poonam Pandey, reality star, model and former Bollywood actress, that shared the striking message on Instagram. “This morning is hard for us. We are deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer. Every living being that ever came into contact with her was met with pure love and kindness,” she said on Friday.
Her team also confirmed that she had “battled bravely the disease” but tragically passed away. They said it was admirable that she had remained so strong despite the illness. Colleagues and other public figures posted about their grief on social media. But others still indicated that they thought it was strange, because Panday had posted about a nice boat trip in Goa four days earlier.
“Extreme, I know”
The latter were right. Panday later admitted in a video that she had not died. She also apologized to her followers for the shock she caused. “Yes, I faked my death. Extreme, I know. But suddenly we’re all talking about cervical cancer, right? I’m proud of what my deaths could do. Because unlike some other forms of cancer, cervical cancer is completely preventable,” she defends herself in the video.
“The key lies in the HPV vaccine and early detection test. We have the tools to ensure that no one loses their life to this disease. Let us help each other to be aware of this and ensure that every woman is aware of all the steps to be taken,” she continues.
According to the World Health Organization, India accounts for almost a quarter of the world‘s cervical cancer cases and more than 200 women lose their lives to the disease every day.
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