Lil Tay, 14, is alive and safe, and has claimed her social media was hacked after reports of her death circulated on August 9 2023.
"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," a statement from the family given to TMZ read. "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 statement concluded.
It is unclear why it took 24 hours for the teen and her family to clear up the misinformation.
Her father, Christopher Hope, had previously refused to confirm his daughter's death. "Yeah, you have the right person, but I don't have any comment right now," he told The NY Post. "I'm not able to give you any comment right now. I'm sorry — I can't."
Lil Tay's former manager, Harry Tsang, also shared his own doubts over her death announcement.
"I have 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," he told The Daily Beast.
On Wednesday August 9 a statement was posted on her social media allegedly from her family claiming the controversial young rapper had died. "It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” the message on Instagram read, while also claiming that her brother had also passed away.
Lil Tay was only online for over a year between 2017 and 2018 but she became infamous in digital circles for controversial videos of her smoking hookahs, using slurs and feuding with Bhad Barbie.
Many accused her parents of coaching her to make viral content, but in a 2018 interview with Good Morning America, she denied the claims. "I run my own Instagram," she said, calling herself "the youngest flexer".
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