Within a span of few minutes on Wednesday, September 6, social media and a few Tamil television channels were abuzz with the false news that popular actor Divya Spandana, known by her screen name Ramya, passed away due to a cardiac arrest. The information seems to have been taken from the social media page of a PRO, who later deleted his post. TNM contacted Divya herself, to find that the news was completely false and baseless. Divya is currently in Europe and is expected to return to Bengaluru tomorrow to resume shooting. Meanwhile, several news outlets broadcast the news without confirmation.

“I am shocked at the irresponsible reporting. It reflects on the times we are living in. 

I don’t even know how to react to this. What am I to say? ‘I’m alive’ !!  I’m now having to give quotes that I am alive. So bizarre. And between it’s happened twice before- just to get a reaction from me because TRP comes so cheap. At least I got a glimpse of what would happen if I really did die,” Divya told TNM.

Among the popular media outlets that broadcast the fake news about Divya’s passing away are Thanthi TV, Dhinakaran, News Tamil 24/7 and Telugu Scribe, all of whom immediately deleted the news from their social media page. It is to be noted that this is not the first time false news about the death of an actor is being broadcast by media outlets. On May 3, there was news saying that actor Sarathbabu passed away, but his sister had confirmed to TNM that this wasn’t the case. However, the actor passed away later that month, after prolonged illness.

Divya is in the midst of shooting for her upcoming Kannada film Uttarakaanda. Divya is well-known through her characters in  Kannada films Mussanjemaatu and Arasu and Tamil films Vaaranam Aayiram and Polladhavan.