Love Island star Shakira Khan has been forced to reassure her grandmother that she is alive after becoming the target of a cruel death hoax online. The 22-year-old addressed the rumours in a TikTok video, expressing her bafflement at the false claims.
In the video, Shakira said: 'Guys… why is everyone saying that I'm dead? Why is everyone saying that I'm dead, omg.' She then explained that her grandmother had become extremely worried after seeing the rumours, leading Shakira to contact her to confirm she is very much alive.
Shakira said she had spotted an AI montage of herself which looked fake, and urged those spreading the rumours to stop. She told her followers: 'Don't believe everything you see on TikTok, love.' Fans showed support in the comments, with one writing: 'Can't get rid of you that easy.'
Separately, Shakira has spoken about her experiences of racism and being treated as an outsider during her time on Love Island. On Paul C. Brunson's podcast 'We Need To Talk', she described a divide among contestants based on race and beauty standards, saying she was often judged because of her skin colour.
Shakira said: 'Me, Toni and Yas call ourselves the outcasts… there’s a pattern here which I don’t think anyone wants to talk about. Women of colour.' She rejected claims from other contestants that no divide existed, calling those denials 'bulls**t'.
