Kajal Aggarwal’s death hoax goes viral; know how it affects mental health

‘Singham’ actor Kajal Aggarwal was recently in the news, but not for a good reason. She recently became the latest Bollywood celebrity to fall victim to a distressing death hoax. Actor Kajal Aggarwal has publicly denied rumours of her involvement in a fatal road accident. Taking to Instagram, she assured her followers that the claims were untrue.

Earlier, many other celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan and Naseeruddin Shah, have been victims of such hoaxes. While it may be fun for some to share fake news, have you wondered how it might affect a person’s psyche? Let us break it down for you.

Kajal Aggarwal’s death hoax news goes viral

Recently, news went viral that Kajal Aggarwal has died in a road accident after suffering multiple injuries. However, that is not true, as confirmed by the actress herself.

Kajal, on her Instagram Stories, stated, "I have come across some baseless news claiming I was in an accident and no longer around. And honestly, it’s quite amusing as it is untrue. By the grace of God, I want to assure you all that I am perfectly fine, safe and doing very well. I kindly request you not to believe or spread such false news. Let’s keep our focus on positivity and truth instead (sic)."

Other celebrities who have become victims of death hoax

Amitabh Bachchan

In 2016, a news media outlet, apparently published the fake news of Amitabh Bachchan's death. The post soon went viral on social media. It was, however, later clarified that the news was fake and not released by the news channel.

Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan once too became a victim of fake death news. Fake news articles or fabricated social media posts claiming his demise have surfaced on several occasions. One such fake news that created a commotion among the fans was the news of the death of the star in a plane crash through a report released by a European News channel that announced the breaking news of his demise. The news was later said to be untrue with the actor himself clarifying his well-being, according to a report by ETimes.

Naseeruddin Shah

During the Covid-19 pandemic, news of Naseeruddin Shah's death went viral on social media. However, the death rumours were dismissed by his family members, who informed fans that all is well.

What happens to an individual’s mind after hearing their own death news?

Have you ever wondered what happens to a person’s mind after hearing the news of their own death? And what happens to their close ones and family? To understand better, Hook exclusively spoke to Psychotherapist Jyoti Das, who revealed that hearing the news of your own death while being alive is jarring, dysregulating the nervous system and causing existential dread.

She explained, “For somebody to hear they’ve passed on while they’re still alive can be extremely jarring. I imagine it could at some point be humorous and relieving depending on how the people around responded to the news. For example, I assume it being quite agonising for somebody like Shefali who was rumoured to have died because she flaunted a rather alternative appearance in her first remixed item number. But for somebody whose death probably garnered grief and sympathy from their fans, I assume the effect to be quite different. Less shame and questioning of self, and perhaps more becoming aware of the legacy they’re leaving behind.

The therapist further added, “Regardless, both times people become very aware of their humanity, their perception in the public, and the lives they’ve lived this far. I imagine it being severely traumatic for the family especially if they’re not around the person when the news is broken leaving them to assume this is real.

It could lead to one's nervous system being dysregulated for days, leave people with existential dread, and keep the person and the family members on edge for a while wondering about their safety.

So, the next time you come across some news, verify and then forward it ahead!