Over the past couple days, there has been some confusion surrounding Lil Tay, the 14-year-old Canadian internet personality and rapper. So, what’s going on?
Yesterday (August 9), a post on Tay’s Instagram page announced that she had died, saying (via Variety), “It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. 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. Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.”
Around the same time, it was also noticed that Tay’s YouTube bio read, “help me.” This caused some uncertainty, so Insider investigated. Lil Tay’s father Christopher Hope and former manager Harry Tsang both spoke to the publication and did not confirm whether Tay was alive. The publication also noted, “It also suggested her brother, Jason Tian, had died as well. The statement didn’t give causes of death for either and said the deaths were under investigation. But law-enforcement agencies in Los Angeles and Vancouver, British Columbia — two cities where Lil Tay is known to have lived — told Insider there were no active death investigations involving Hope.”
Today, TMZ shared what they say is a statement from Tay’s family confirming that she is still alive. The statement says, “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. 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. […] My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong. My legal name is Tay Tian, not ‘Claire Hope’.”
The death announcement post has since been deleted. Before that post, Tay’s most recent Instagram post was from 2018. As TMZ notes, “Tay was caught in the middle of a nasty custody battle between her parents, Angela Tian and Christopher Hope — one we were told had been going on in court since 2018, around the same time the influencer went radio silent online.”