Kill me, crucify me but save someone you love: Poonam Pandey defends cancer awareness death stunt

Facing intense backlash for orchestrating a faux 'death' from cervical cancer, model and actress Poonam Pandey remains unapologetic in her latest Instagram post, declaring, “Kill me, crucify me, hate me, but save someone you love.”

The actor reposted a series of messages and social media posts from her supporters to her IG Story to argue that her stunt was effective. In one screenshot of a personal message she received on Insta, the user penned, “Your way of awareness may be right or wrong for others but thousands of women must have researched or even booked tests [for cervical cancer].”

The user declared Pandey’s awareness strategy a success and in the next Story, the celebrity shared an extensive post from another admirer. “This lie was told for the benefit of other people only for 24 hours and no one was harmed,” read the post. “In India, people don’t pay attention to things unless it’s presented differently.”

The post furthered on, “She didn’t do anything wrong. Her intention was absolutely clear…In the last 24 hours, cervical cancer is being talked about everywhere.” Another proponent of Pandey’s awareness campaign slammed the internet for accusing the actor of agreeing to the stunt for money. “It was purely for a cause. Poonam Pandey got no compensation.”

In the following Insta Stories, Pandey shared more comments that agreed to the stunt’s effectiveness and reiterated that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer with the hashtags #ActVsImpact and #FocusOnTheCause. In another Story, Pandey wrote, “Haters can hate but can you deny the impact?”

The marketing agency, Schbang, responsible for the controversial campaign in collaboration with Pandey, issued an apology acknowledging their involvement, as reported by Gulf News. "Yes, we were involved in the initiative for Poonam Pandey to spread awareness about Cervical Cancer in collaboration with Hauterfly."

Hauterfly, a lifestyle and entertainment portal targeting millennial women, also expressed regret, stating, “To start off, we would like to extend a heartfelt apology — especially towards those who have been triggered as a result of having faced/having a loved one face the hardships of any kind of Cancer.”

In defense of the dramatic announcement, Pandey's agency emphasized their mission to raise awareness about Cervical Cancer, citing alarming statistics in India: "In 2022, India registered 123,907 Cervical Cancer cases and 77,348 deaths." The statement disclosed that Poonam Pandey's own mother battled Cancer, underscoring her personal connection to the cause.

The agency concluded, “This is the first time in the history of this country that the words ‘Cervical Cancer’ have appeared in 1000+ Headlines,” asserting the campaign's impact on public awareness.

While expressing regret for any distress caused, the agency defended its methods, stating, “We understand that our methods may have sparked a debate about the approach. While we regret any distress caused, if the move results in spreading much-needed awareness and preventing deaths, that would be its real impact.”

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