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Poonam Pandey, on Saturday, took to her social media and shared a video announcing that she is alive. This comes a day after her official Instagram handle and team announced that she died of cervical cancer at 32. Poonam shared a video on social media and said, “I feel compelled to share something significant with you all – I am here, alive. Cervical Cancer didn’t claim me, but tragically, it has claimed the lives of thousands of women who stemmed from a lack of knowledge on how to tackle this.”
After Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut, who hosted the reality show Lock Upp where Pandey was a contestant, extended condolences to her family, fellow contestant and actor Anjali Arora also shared her deep sadnes.
On her Instagram story, Arora wrote, “In shock and disbelief after hearing the news about Poonam Pandey. Her sudden departure has left me speechless and heartbroken. It’s hard to accept she’s no longer with us. Life is too short. RIP.”
Meanwhile, fashion designer Saisha Shinde, another participant in Lock Upp alongside Pandey and Arora, shared a cryptic post on her Instagram story, stating, “I’m with you.. you’re with me. Forever ❤️.” In another post, she wrote, “I can’t do this 💔.”
Expressing shock and disbelief, reality TV star Sambhavna Seth said that she was unaware of Pandey’s cancer diagnosis. “Oh my god! I knew her. We have done Khatron Ke Khiladi together. I met her last year. We actually would keep meeting sometimes socially or at an event. But she never mentioned that she was going through any problems. It’s absolutely unbelievable, I still can’t digest it,” Seth told News18.
“Life is just so unpredictable. I’m not in Mumbai but how I wish I was there to pay my respects. I would have reached there immediately. I knew her very well and she was a very positive person. I remember she had a dog. She was a very happy-go-lucky person. Everyone does things for media attention and so did she at times but she was not like that.”
“She did not say anything about this. Just think how strong she was that she never even mentioned it. I really pray to god that wherever she is, she is happy and fine now. The suffering that comes with cancer is extremely tough. We all know that there are medical measures to deal with cancer as well but she must have been on a very difficult stage,” Seth added.
Despite efforts by The Indian Express to contact her family for an official statement since the post appeared, they have yet to be reached. Talking to The Indian Express, her manager Nikita said, “She died at her home in Uttar Pradesh.”
Her team said in a statement, “We received a call from her family/team in the morning that she is no more, we are also trying to reach her family but unfortunately we haven’t been able to reach them which is why we are not releasing an official statement. As of now, all we know is she is no more and her body is at the moment in UP.”
Poonam Pandey was a popular yet controversial model. She got popular after she promised that she would strip if India won the 2011 Cricket World Cup final. She found a dedicated social media following over the years with her controversial statements and videos. Her short-lived marriage with Sam Bombay ended in domestic abuse charges.
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