Actress Poonam Pandey Fakes Her Own Death in Marketing Stunt

A Bollywood actress is facing criticism after faking her own death. 

Poonam Pandey‘s Instagram page announced on Feb. 1 that she had died at age 32 due to cervical cancer.

“This morning is a tough one for us,” read a statement posted to her feed. “Deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer. Every living form that ever came in contact with her was met with pure love and kindness. In this time of grief, we would request for privacy while we remember her fondly for all that we shared.” 

However, the next day, Pandey returned to her page with a video message letting fans know it was all a hoax. 

Before pointing out that Cervical Health Awareness Month was in January, the Mumbai-based model wrote on Feb. 2, “I feel compelled to share something significant with you all—I am here, alive.”

“Cervical Cancer didn’t claim me,” she continued, “but tragically, it has claimed the lives of thousands of women who stemmed from a lack of knowledge on how to tackle this disease.”