10 August 2023 , 17:35
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Lil Tay has said that she and her brother are "safe and alive" after a social media hoax about her alleged death had the world gripped over the last 24 hours.
Lil Tay and her brother's 'deaths' were announced on Wednesday via a statement from the family and posted on the rapper's Instagram account.
Speaking to TMZ, the rapper said: "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 traumatising 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."
She went on to explain that the misinformation went beyond just saying she was dead. It also falsely named her as 'Claire Hope'.
Tay wrote: "My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumours regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong. My legal name is Tay Tian, not 'Claire Hope'."
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The account claimed to be Lil Tay's dead brother (@liltay/instagram)
The account alleges that Lil Tay and her brother aren't dead (@liltay/instagram)Meta eventually helped Tay to regain access to her Instagram account. It took over 24 hours to speak out. Now, the phoney Instagram post has been removed.
Lil Tay's YouTube bio did not help dispel rumours. Currently, the bio reads "help me". and, according to the Wayback Machine Internet Archive was changed to that sometime between March 18 and June 28.
The Vancouver Police Department had stated to The Mirror at the time that they did not have any record of her or her brother, Justin, being reported dead. They were not investigating further.
When asked to confirm or deny if his daughter was dead, her father, Chris Hope, initially refused to comment. He told The Sun: "I'm not going to comment on that right now."
Former managers also denied to comment at the time. One, Harry Tsang, claimed to be in close contact with individuals involved and referred to the situation as 'complex'. He told the Daily Beast: "I've been in communication with individuals who have an intimate understanding of the family's situation. 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."
The Instagram announcement had taken fans by surprise. Prior to the alleged hack, Lil Tay had been completely inactive across social media since 2018. Her last post was a controversial tribute to XXXTentacion.
In 2018, after Lil Tay had disappeared from social media, her Instagram was completely wiped. While the archived posts have since been returned, her former manager Diomi Cordero told Buzzfeed at the time that the wipe was a part of an intended rebrand. What followed was years of silence.
An application was put in at the time for a trademark on 'Lil Tay' with a pseudo-name of 'Little Tay'. The trade mark is owned by Qi "Angela" Tian, her mother, on behalf of Tay.
Her disappearance came amidst a reported custody battle between her parents. While the current status of Lil Tay's custody is unclear, a civil court case between her parents' disposition was marked as dismissed in a British Columbia appeals court. The case was marked officially closed on March 15.
In 2018, her father told Hollywood Life about litigation. He said: "When my daughter’s social media began to go viral this year, I disagreed with most of the social media activity. I took legal steps to stop things which I felt were dangerous to her physical and mental health and to her future."
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Lil Tay rose to fame as the result of controversial and jarring social media posts. Under the guidance of her brother, she would post videos swearing (including slurs) and holding money. She built a persona where she claimed to be the 'youngest flexer', appearing to showoff a lifestyle of wealth.
Often, she would pose in expensive houses. Her mother, Angela Tian, was a real estate agent in Vancouver at the time. When the company she worked for confirmed that she had resigned, rumours spread that she was fired for letting Tay and her brother used the houses in videos. Angela denied that on Good Morning America.
Lil Tay's death was announced earlier today (@liltay/instagram)She said: "I didn't get fired. I resigned for my daughter's career and bright future. I don't want to deal with all these questions anymore."
Angela added: "All the haters, they want to get attention from her because right now, she's famous, and she has a passion. Every parent needs to worry about their own child. I'll worry about my child. She's a star now, and wherever she is, I will be beside her."
On the other hand, Tay's father was not supportive of his daughter's career. He told Hollywood Life in 2018: "I do not think a 10-year-old girl should be put in those situations and made to drop out of school so that she can make money for other people."
He added: "Everyone else involved in this situation is motivated by money and the possibility of making money off of my daughter. I am not fighting about money; I am fighting for my daughter – for her happiness and her future."
She also has a history of beef with other celebrity stars. She had a known fight with fellow controversial rap star, Bhad Bhabie.
The message comes after an initial statement shared to Lil Tay's 3.3million Instagram followers expressed the family's "unbearable sorrow" over the deaths of Claire and her brother. "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."
They added: "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." The family then asked for privacy during their time of "immense sorrow" and while the circumstances surrounding Claire and her brother's passing is being investigated.
They concluded with: "Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her," the statement ended.
One person on Reddit remarked: "If this a hoax it’s extremely f**ked up but I would it rather be that then her actually being deceased.”