'It’s been a very traumatising 24 hours': Rapper Lil Tay, 14, reveals she's not dead after huge social media hoax
10 August 2023, 18:56 | Updated: 10 August 2023, 19:19
Young rapper Lil Tay has confirmed she and her brother are alive after a social media hoax claimed the pair had died.
A post made to the 14-year-old rapper’s Instagram account on Wednesday claimed that both Lil Tay, real name Tay Tian, and her brother had died.
But now it has emerged the pair are alive after the young star revealed she’s had a “traumatising” 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,” the rapper 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.”
She even revealed that the post falsely claimed that her named was “Claire Hope”.
“My Instagram account was compromised by a third 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’," the rapper continued.
The star has reportedly since thanked Meta who helped her regain access to the social media account.
The original post claimed Lil Tay and her brother had died "unexpectedly", which has since been taken down.
After the post was made about the rapper on Wednesday, the star’s former manager Harry Tsang also issued a statement, saying: "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.
"This situation calls for cautious consideration and respect for the sensitivities involved. My commitment remains focused on delivering updates that are both reliable and appropriately timed."
The Los Angeles Police Department and the county medical examiner said they had no details of the death of anybody named Claire Hope, Insider reported at the time.
Lil Tay soared to fame in 2018 after sharing divisive videos online wherein she boasted about her money and used explicit language, but ultimately went on to garner over three million followers on Instagram.
