Who is Hande Ercel? All about the Turkish actress and the Shah Rukh Khan ‘Uncle’ controversy

Turkish actor Hande Erçel has pushed back against a viral social media claim that she referred to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as “uncle”, calling the circulating post fake and putting an end to the online speculation.

The controversy kicked off after a clip from the Joy Awards 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia showed Erçel holding up her phone in the audience as Shah Rukh Khan presented an award alongside Egyptian actress Amina Khalil. The video quickly went viral on social media, with many fans dubbing the moment a cute “fangirl” snapshot.

King's aura so unreal, Hande Ercel had to capture the moment.❤️👑@iamsrk @HandeErcel #KING #RiyadhJoyAwards #JoyAwards2026 #ShahRukhKhan #SRK #HandeErcel #KingKhan pic.twitter.com/yUMyQQdUib

— Shah Rukh Khan Universe Fan Club (@SRKUniverse) January 19, 2026

More from Entertainment

Harry-Meghan latest update: Duke of Sussex takes to the stand against Daily Mail publisher in privacy lawsuit Berlin Film Festival 2026 full lineup: Opening film, competition, special Screenings, and more

Shortly afterwards, a screenshot purportedly from Erçel’s Instagram story began circulating online, claiming she had dismissed the attention by saying, “Who is this uncle? I was just filming my friend @aminakhalilofficial, I am not his fan!! Please stop spreading false information!!” The image spread widely across platforms including X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, fuelling misunderstanding and debate among users.

Shah Rukh Khan went to host Joy Awards 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

A clip of Turkish actress Hande Erçel went viral in which SRK was on stage

News was made that Hande is a fangirl of SRK, but she denied even knowing SRK and referred to him as uncle

A total PR failure pic.twitter.com/H0mUiq20Mg

— Tushar ॐ♫₹ (@Tushar_KN) January 20, 2026

Erçel’s Issues Clarification

Amid the uproar, the Love Is in the Air star took to her official X account to issue a brief but firm denial of the viral claim. Responding to posts sharing the screenshot, she wrote, “This is fake.”

This is fake.

— Hande Erçel (@HandeErcel) January 20, 2026

By calling out the misleading image, Erçel made it clear she never posted the alleged message, nor did she intend any comment about Shah Rukh Khan in that vein. Her response effectively ended the spread of the false claim. Fans also lauded her for quickly calling out the rumour and putting a rest to speculations.

Who is Hande Erçel?

Hande Erçel is a Turkish actress and model who has become one of the leading faces of Turkey’s television and entertainment industry. She rose to prominence with roles in hit series such as Aşk Laftan Anlamaz and Sen Çal Kapımı (You Knock on My Door), earning a strong fan base across the Middle East, Europe and South Asia. With millions of followers on social media, she enjoys international visibility that extends well beyond her home country and has increasingly become part of global entertainment conversations.