A video of television actor Reem Shaikh recently went viral in the wake of the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash. In the clip, paparazzi can be seen asking Reem questions about the incident. However, she chooses not to respond — a moment of silence that was instantly dissected online.
The internet, never known for its patience or nuance, pounced. Trolls accused Reem of being ignorant, insensitive, and unaware of a major national tragedy. But what most didn’t know was that the tragedy had hit much closer to home for her than they could imagine.
Reem Breaks Her Silence — And Sets the Record Straight
Now, Reem Shaikh has fired back. In a heartfelt Instagram Story, she shut down the accusations and revealed a deeply personal connection to the tragedy. “To everyone trolling me for not knowing about the plane crash — stop,” she wrote. “My real sister flies planes for Air India. Yes, my own sister.”
She continued, “I was among the first people to know when the crash happened. I saw my sister crying at home, grieving the loss of her colleagues. This wasn’t just news to me — it was painfully personal.”
Reem also clarified that the paparazzi never asked her directly about the plane crash. “They said, ‘Say something about yesterday,’ not ‘Say something about the crash,’” she explained. “It’s painful how quickly people jump to conclusions. If I seemed lost or quiet, it wasn’t because I didn’t know. It was because I wasn’t going to speak on something so serious unless directly asked.”
She concluded her post with a powerful reminder: “This tragedy shook me in ways I can’t explain. My sister works with these people. I’ve seen her cry for them. Please don’t judge someone’s heart based on a five-second video.”
Quick to Judge, Slow to Empathize
Reem’s response is a sobering reminder of how little we know about what someone is really going through behind the camera. A split-second silence was all it took for people to question her empathy — but in reality, she was grieving in private while the internet demanded a public display.
As always, the loudest voices on social media rarely stop to ask the right questions. Reem’s message isn’t just a clapback — it’s a much-needed lesson in compassion, context, and keeping our judgment in check.
