Internet famous Lil Tay has told US media that she “is very much alive”, claiming her death announcement yesterday was the result of a hacked Instagram account.
“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,” the 14-year-old told TMZ on Thursday.
“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.”
The American-born Canadian child rapper said her Instagram account was compromised by a third party and used to “spread jarring misinformation and rumours” regarding her.
“My legal name is Tay Tian, not ‘Claire Hope’.”
Earlier Wednesday, Lil Tay’s father, Christopher Hope, and former manager, Harry Tsang, refused to comment on the Instagram post and declined to answer whether she was alive.
“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,” Tsang told Insider in an email on Wednesday.
“This situation calls for careful consideration and respect for the sensitivities involved. My commitment remains focused on delivering updates that are both reliable and appropriately timed.”
According to Insider, the police departments in Vancouver and Los Angeles had no information on the death of anyone named Claire Hope.
The Vancouver police department confirmed they were not investigating a case.
Lil Tay became famous as the “World’s Youngest Flexer” across social media, gaining 3.2 million followers on Instagram, but had not posted on the account since 2018.
Around the same time, she was caught in a custody battle between her parents, Angela Tian and Christopher Hope.
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