Source: @liltay / Instagram
Lil Tay, the young Internet rapper and influencer thought to be dead a day ago, confirmed she’s alive after what appears to be a hoax.
On Thursday (Aug. 10), the family provided a statement to TMZ from the rapper debunking previous reports that spread Wednesday (Aug. 9) citing an Instagram post claiming that Lil Tay and her brother had died. “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,” her alleged statement read.
“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.” The family also claims that her Instagram account “was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors,” especially concerning her name. My legal name is Tay Tian, not ‘Claire Hope.’”
The since-deleted Instagram post was published with the statement reading: “It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock. Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief. During this time of immense sorrow, we kindly ask for privacy as we grieve this overwhelming loss, as the circumstances surrounding Claire and her brother’s passing are still under investigation.”
The announcement caused some confusion as the Vancouver Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department and its county medical examiner stated that they had no information on Lil Tay’s death and that there was no current investigation. Adding to that, her father Christopher Hope said to Insider that he couldn’t comment on the post and declined to comment on whether she was alive.
Lil Tay shot to fame as a social media influencer at the age of 9, dubbing herself “youngest flexer of the century,” while creating foul-mouthed Instagram videos boasting of a luxurious Hip-Hop lifestyle. One video showed her purchasing a $200,000 sports car despite not knowing how to drive. It led her to be associated with Chief Keef and XXXTentacion, the latter whom she dubbed a “father figure.” She received heavy backlash for using the N-word, later apologizing for it in another post.
