Lil Tay is alive actually: Teen internet star says she was reportedly hacked
UPDATE: Aug. 10, 2023, 2:37 p.m. EDT Lil Tay is actually alive, according to the internet sensation herself. Lil Tay reportedly told TMZ in an interview, nearly 24 hours after her reported death, that she is, in fact, alive. A Wednesday evening post on the teen's Instagram reported she had died, but now Lil Tay claims she was hacked. The entire story is quite strange and will be updated as needed. Below is the original story on her reported death, edited to reflect the fact that Lil Tay is, in fact, alive.
UPDATE: Aug. 10, 2023, 11:45 a.m. AEST There is now doubt as to the reports of Lil Tay's death, as both her former manager Harry Tsang and her father Christopher Hope have declined to confirm either her or her brother's passing in comments provided to the digital news outlet Insider, linked in the first line below. This is a developing story.
Lil Tay, the former internet star who went viral at nine years old for her profane raps and "flexing" videos, has reported that she is, in fact, alive nearly a full day after her verified Instagram account claimed on Wednesday (Aug. 9) that she and her brother had died.
On Thursday, she reportedly told TMZ that she had not died and that her account was hacked. Right now, it's difficult to parse what is real and what actually happened in the past 24 hours.
"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," she told TMZ. "All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess."
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Initially, there was no information provided about how the teen influencer — whose real name was said to be Claire Hope in the Instagram post — had reportedly passed. Lil Tay, in telling TMZ she was alive, even said her legal name is actually Tay Tian.
"It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire's sudden and tragic passing," read the death statement posted to Instagram, claiming it was written by family. "We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock."
In recent years, the child star's life has been the subject of drama and controversy. TMZ reported on a 2020 custody battle between her parents that centered on Claire and control over her career. There were allegations of abuse against the child from both legal teams.
The statement posted to Lil Tay's verified Instagram account also said that her brother, Jason, had died but offered no clarity on when. Jason was reportedly the mastermind behind the Lil Tay persona.
"Her brother's passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief," the statement read.
The Daily Beast reported in depth about the family's history and the uncertain circumstances surrounding Lil Tay's reported death. Now, we (apparently) know that there wasn't a death at all.
This story has been updated to clarify that the statement on the Lil Tay Instagram account has not been independently confirmed to be attributable to members of Hope's family. It has also been updated to reflect Lil Tay reportedly coming forward to say she's very much alive.
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
