Pesulap Merah discussed alleged pesugihan practices at Gunung Kawi that dragged Sarwendah's name into the spotlight. He stressed the information came from an interview with a local kuncen but could not confirm its accuracy.
Pesulap Merah, whose real name is Marcel Radhival, said Sarwendah's name came up in statements from a Gunung Kawi kuncen during his interview. He claimed no intent to target anyone and was only responding to netizen requests to review the phenomenon.
In his statement on May 20, 2026, Marcel added that artists' visits to the site might be only for filming or cultural tourism. He suggested affected parties provide direct clarification to avoid misunderstandings.
Sarwendah responded to the rumors via a Threads post. She wrote that her name is frequently used as clickbait and questioned whether her horror film shoot in Serbia would also be linked to pesugihan.
