The family of social media superstar Lil Tay has released a statement following multiple reports of the teenager’s death. The family claims that the rapper’s social media had been hacked and the bad actors released “jarring misinformation.”
In the statement obtained by Mamas Uncut, Tay clears things up, saying, “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.”
Lil Tay Is Alive and Well!
“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,” Tay also said. : My legal name is Tay Tian, not “Claire Hope.”
Tay also thanked Meta, Instagram’s parent company, for helping resolve the situation and remove the erroneous social media post.
It’s unclear why it took more than 24-hours to spread the word that she was indeed still among the land of the living. And, there are many unanswered questions surrounding the whole ordeal.
TMZ claims that they contacted Vancouver police, other authorities, and Tay’s family members to try and track down some of those answers. According to the outlet, the family had no idea why so many folks were phoning them, asking about details of Tay’s apparent death.
Lil Tay had just turned 14 years old on July 29. So, when her fake death was announced on August 9, it caused shockwaves with many taking to social media to share their condolences.
“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,” the now deleted Instagram post said.
The family went on to explain that her passing was “entirely unexpected” and has left those close to her in complete “shock” – adding that her brother’s passing “adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief.”’
Thankfully, this was all a misunderstanding and Lil Tay and her brother are doing just fine. Tay has over three million followers on Instagram and she gained notoriety as the “World’s Youngest Flexer” that rapped and showcased a luxurious lifestyle across social media.
She had not posted on the Instagram account since 2018. We’ll update this story as we learn more details about this hoax. Mamas Uncut had previously reported the youth’s death and we hope the clarification is seen by any readers who saw that now unpublished piece.