On February 1, Poonam's official Instagram account posted a statement announcing her death due to cervical cancer, leaving everyone shocked. The next day, she came live on a video stream and revealed it was a stunt to raise awareness for the disease. Her move led to widespread public outrage and calls for an FIR against her for the hoax.
One of the controversies that probably made her famous was when seh promising to strip naked if the Indian Cricket Team won the World Cup in 2011, raising eyebrows. Although India won, she did not do as promised, citing a lack of permission from the BCCI.
In 2021-2022, Poonam Pandey was named as an accused in an investigation involving a major pornography racket. The Supreme Court of India eventually granted her protection from arrest in the case.
In 2017, the actress launched a mobile application featuring adult-oriented content named Poonam Pandey App. Google removed it from the Play Store within an hour of release for violating content policies.
In 2019, a sex tape of Pandey and her then-boyfriend was allegedly leaked and later deleted from her Instagram account.
The posters for her 2013 debut film, Nasha, had her semi-nude, covered only by two placards. The poster sparked debates and also led to protests in Mumbai and Delhi, wherein people tore down and burned the posters.
After the 2011 World Cup stripping promise, Poonam posted a nude photo of herself after the Kolkata Knight Riders won the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2012, sparking a controversy.
In 2019, Pandey filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against businessman and Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra, and his associates, alleging that they continued to use her content illegally on their app even after her contract ended.
In 2020, Poonam was arrested in North Goa for filming a nude video on government property (Chapoli Dam). The incident sparked a controversy and even led to the suspension of a police inspector who permitted the shoot.
Between 2020 and 2021, Poonam stayed in the spotlight after announcing her marriage to Sam Bombay. Months after her marriage, she filed a police complaint against him for molestation and physical assault while they were in Goa.
During the nationwide lockdown in 2020, Pandey and her then-husband, Sam Bombay, were arrested by the Mumbai Police for violating lockdown rules after they stepped out for an unnecessary drive.
Poonam Pandey was roped in to play Mandodari (Ravana's wife) in the 2025 Luv Kush Ramlila at Delhi's Red Fort. However, she was dropped from the project following intense backlash from the VHP and BJP.
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