Entertainment

Bollywood actress Poonam Pandey sued for faking cervical cancer death in HPV vaccine promotion stunt – Fox News

Published

2 weeks ago

April 27, 2024

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A Bollywood film actress and model who faked her own death to highlight the dangers of cervical cancer and to promote the HPV vaccine is now being sued for the stunt.
A post on Poonam Pandey’s Instagram page on Feb. 2 stated that she had died from cervical cancer, with her team confirming the news to the media. Her manager, Nikita Sharma, stated the star had “bravely fought the disease” but had “tragically passed away,” according to NDTV India.
However, the following day, Pandey, 32, posted a video of herself revealing she was alive and well and that the death announcement was a ruse to raise awareness about the potentially fatal disease.
The move sparked uproar online, with the overwhelming majority of commentators slamming Pandey for her actions.
Poonam Pandey, a Bollywood film actress and model, faked her own death via a social media post on Friday to raise awareness about the potentially fatal disease and for women to get vaccinated. (Ashish Vaishnav/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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“I’m alive, I didn’t die because of cervical cancer,” Pandey told her 1.3 million followers, as poignant music played in the background.
“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.”
“We can do all this and more to make sure there are no more lives lost to this disease,” she added.
She then directed her followers to log onto a specially designed website – www.poonampandeyisalive.com – which was packed with information on the deadly cancer and the vaccine designed to prevent it. The website and her Instagram posts relating to her fake death have now been deleted.
Cervical cancer visualized by sagittal MRI, papillomavirus infection is often the cause. (CAVALLINI JAMES/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Pandey and her husband Sam Bombay are now being sued for more than $12 million by Faizan Ansari, according to The Times of India. Ansari is an actor and reality TV star.
The lawsuit alleges Pandey and Bombay orchestrated a “false conspiracy of death” and trivialized serious illnesses like cancers for their own publicity gains.
Ansari argues that the couple’s actions betrayed the trust of millions of Indians and also tarnished the reputation of the Bollywood fraternity.
The lawsuit demanded the couple’s arrest and called for them to appear in court to face defamation charges.
Pandey’s initial death post came a day after India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans for a cervical cancer vaccination program for girls aged 9 to 14 as part of her interim budget in 2024, according to NDTV. Cervical cancer arises from the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus in the female reproductive system.
Cervical cancer is ranked as the most frequent cancer in women in India, with around 365 million women aged above 15 years of age, who are at risk of developing cervical cancer. The World Health Organization estimates there are 74,000 deaths annually in India, accounting for nearly one-third of the global cervical cancer deaths.
This undated image provided by Merck in October 2018 shows a vial and packaging for the Gardasil 9 HPV vaccine. (AP Images)
Pandey’s stunt caused a firestorm online and was mostly panned by her followers.
“Am happy she is alive but pls arrest her for this drama and publicity stunt,” wrote one follower, with his top post getting nearly 33,000 likes on Feb. 3.
Another 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 posted a second video the day after her death post acknowledging the blowback she was receiving. She said she was sorry for upsetting people but did not appear to have any regrets.
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“Yes, I faked my demise. Extreme, I know. But suddenly we all are talking about cervical cancer, aren’t we?” Pandey said. “It’s a disease that silently takes a life and this disease needed the spotlight urgently.”
“I am proud of what my death news has been able to achieve.”
“Unlike some other cancers, cervical cancer is entirely preventable,” she said. “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.”
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
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This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

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Entertainment

Suit Claims Rhude Designer Used Company Funds for Lifestyle – The Cut

Published

4 hours ago

May 10, 2024

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Entertainment

Bollywood in Brownsville: Fundraiser to benefit Ozanam Center – MyRGV

Published

9 hours ago

May 10, 2024

knitved

Bollywood in Brownsville, coming April 19, has a dual purpose in mind: help out the Ozanam Center while giving ticket buyers a rare taste of India’s lively, vibrant culture and cuisine.
The fundraiser is the brainchild of District 2 City Commissioner Linda Macias, whose district includes the Ozanam Center, a nonprofit homeless shelter that in recent times has had an extra burden placed on it in the form of large numbers of migrants waiting to be transported out of Brownsville. Touring the facility during Thanksgiving week last year, Macias saw up close what went on, met staff and clients, and learned about the tremendous financial pressure the center is under.
Ozanam normally serves clients such as women and men seeking escape from domestic violence, people with addiction problems, young adults who have aged out of the foster care system, and individuals incapable of maintaining a household for whatever reason. On top of that the center, which has been in existence 30 years, now has a sizable migrant population it is trying to accommodate.
Macias said the facility’s capacity is 300 people per day, but that it has been allowing more than 380 to stay because they don’t want to turn anyone away.
She also learned during her tour that Ozanam had not held a fundraiser since before COVID, and in the last 16 years had never raised more than $5,000 from any one fundraiser. Macias said she felt a responsibility to help the center since, for one, it’s in her district. Plus, the city relies heavily on Ozanam to house migrants who would otherwise be on the streets while waiting to be transported out of Brownsville.
“I couldn’t walk away and not do something about it,” she said.
Macias, who visited India with her husband in 2018, came up the idea for Bollywood in Brownsville. She called former city commissioner and Ozanam board chairman Ben Neece to tell him. A devoted fan of Indian food and culture, Neece was excited about the idea and contacted the India Association of the Rio Grande Valley, or IARGV, that same day to see if they could help, Macias said. The organization, based in McAllen, jumped at the chance.
Macias said she’s sorry Neece, who died unexpectedly Dec. 12, won’t be around for the fundraiser and thinks he would have loved it. The event is being held in his honor, she said.
Bollywood in Brownsville will be catered by Chef Celia Galindo, who has cooked for Indian and Pakistani private parties in the Valley, Macias said, noting that Galindo has also teamed up with the IARGV to make the event as authentic and genuine as possible.
“We have a lot of prominent and connected cultures within our community,” Macias said. “The Filipino Association is one that’s very strong here.”
The Pakistani and Indian communities likewise have a robust presence in the Valley, contributing much to economic development, she said.
“There’s about 80 to 90 families across the RGV,” Macias said. “The majority of them are in Brownsville and then the rest you can find in Hidalgo County. It’s very strong.”
Bollywood in Brownsville starts at 6:30 p.m. on April 19 at the Brownsville Events Center, 1 Event Center Blvd. Formal, festive attire is encouraged. Tickets are $100 each and include a three-course Indian meal, wine and entertainment compliments of the IARGV. Tickets are available only at Camelia Mexican Boutique, 1424 W. Price Rd., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
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