On August 9, it was reported that social media personality Lil Tay has died at the age of 14. But it turns out, this celebrity death wasn't a death after all — in fact, the rapper is still alive. Her death was announced via an Instagram post allegedly written by her family, saying that her "sudden and tragic passing" was an "unbearable loss" for the family, adding that they were left shocked.
The initial report of her death also claimed that her older brother Jason Tian, age 21, had also died.
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She's calling the last 24 hours 'traumatizing.'
In a statement made to TMZ the day after, Tay claims that her Instagram account was "compromised," which resulted in the false report of her death.
"I want to make it clear that my brother and I are safe and alive, but I’m completely heartbroken, and struggling to even find the right words to say," she wrote.
"It’s been a very traumatizing 24 hours. All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess."
Apparently, her Instagram account was hacked.
She went on to explain more about what happened to her Instagram account, saying that it was used to "spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me."
When her death was announced, the post called her by the name Claire Hope, and she told TMZ that this information is incorrect. "My legal name is Tay Tian, not Claire Hope," she noted.
The post reporting her death has been removed from her Instagram account. She credits Instagram's parent company Meta with helping her get access to her account again.
The whole situation around her death was confusing.
After the announcement was shared yesterday, no news outlets were able to confirm the news with Lil Tay or her family.
TMZ reports that the family members they reached out to were "totally in the dark, and knew nothing of her passing."
According to Insider, Lil Tay’s father, Christopher Hope, told them that he was unable to comment on the Instagram post and wouldn’t confirm or deny his daughter’s death. Her former manager, Harry Tsang, also couldn’t confirm or deny the young star’s passing.
No one would confirm or deny Lil Tay's death.
"Given the complexities of the current circumstances, I am at a point where I cannot definitively confirm or dismiss the legitimacy of the statement issued by the family," Harry told Insider via email. "This situation calls for cautious consideration and respect for the sensitivities involved. My commitment remains focused on delivering updates that are both reliable and appropriately timed."
Multiple news outlets, including Insider, TMZ and the Daily Mail all claimed to have reached out to local police agencies in Los Angeles and Vancouver (where Lil Tay grew up) and were told that they had no information on any investigations into the death of Claire Hope.
The Daily Mail also reported that the police had no record of her brother Jason’s death.
The last few years of Lil Tay's life have been fraught.
Lil Tay rose to prominence in 2018 at the age of 9. Known as the "World's Youngest Flexer," she rapped and showed off a lavish lifestyle, including posing with stacks of money.
In late 2018, a video of Lil Tay being coached off camera by someone to rap and use profanity surfaced, and her Instagram account was scrubbed, but the old posts returned. Nothing new has been posted since.
Her parents Angela Tian and Christopher Hope, have been involved in a bitter custody battle for several years, with Lil Tay accusing her father of "physically and mentally" abusing her.
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