Poonam Pandey Defends Fake Death Stunt For Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign
Poonam Pandey took the Internet by storm when her team announced that the actress had 'died' due to cervical cancer.
Known for an unapologetic public persona, Poonam Pandey has long remained a polarising figure in the entertainment industry. Things took a dramatic turn last year when the model-turned-actress used social media to falsely announce her death – IYKYK.
Poonam's stunt attracted massive attention from both netizens and celebrities, but it also triggered a wave of harsh criticism and backlash across social media.
In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Poonam explained her reasons for going to such extreme lengths for the campaign. When asked about the controversy, she stated it was all done to make people realise that cervical cancer is preventable if the right precautions are taken.
'People are calling me now saying, 'We hated you,' but people are taking vaccines now," Poonam said, adding that even her doctor friends praised the campaign as brilliant.
'People were not taking it seriously. Nobody was until they got to know about me. It was insane," she added.
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Poonam Pandey took the Internet by storm when her team announced her 'death" on social media due to cervical cancer, highlighting her 'brave fight." After 24 hours, Poonam returned to her account to reveal the announcement was a hoax and expressed pride in the awareness it generated around cervical cancer. The stunt, however, was met with severe backlash, with netizens labelling it unethical and manipulative.
Speaking about the criticism, she said, 'People came out, and they bluntly spoke shit about me. Jhoot toh sabhi bolte hai, apni daily life mein. At least 10 jhoot bolte honge, maine 1 bola, 1000-plus people were saved, aur tumko usme bhi problem hai."
Discussing the campaign further, Poonam Pandey revealed that the idea came from an advertising agency named Schbang, and that she charged no money for participating in it, stating it was purely for the cause of cervical cancer awareness.
'I thought main koi achha kaam kar leti hoon. I would do something nice, but people crucified me," she noted.
While some supporters argued that Poonam's bold stunt raised critical awareness and drew attention to the importance of HPV vaccination, others, including organisations like Gavi, criticised the campaign and called it ethically questionable.
First Published:
July 22, 2025, 16:17 IST
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