Turkish actress Hande Erçel has denied reports claiming she referred to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as “uncle” in an Instagram story, calling the viral post fake.
The clarification comes after Gulf News and several Indian media outlets published stories suggesting Erçel made the remark following a viral clip from the Joy Awards 2026 in Riyadh.
During the event, Erçel was seen filming her friend, Egyptian actress Amina Khalil, who appeared on stage alongside Shah Rukh Khan, leading to online speculation that the Turkish star was recording the Bollywood actor.
Soon after, a screenshot allegedly from Erçel’s Instagram story began circulating on social media, carrying the caption:
“Who is this uncle? I was just filming my friend @aminakalilofficial. I am not his fan!! Please stop spreading false information!!”
Erçel refuted the screenshot, stating it was fake, and shared the circulating post on her official X account around 12 hours ago, writing simply:
“This is a lie.”
Her statement confirms that she did not post the alleged Instagram story and did not refer to Shah Rukh Khan as “uncle”.