14-Year-Old Influencer’s Death Was FAKED

On Wednesday Gen Z influencer Lil Tay’s Instagram shocked many after a lengthy statement was posted that declared Lil Tay and her brother died in an unexpected tragedy.

However, just 24 hours after the post was put up Lil Tay confirmed she is not dead but rather her Instagram was hacked.

In a statement to TMZ Lil Tay wrote  “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.”

She later stated “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.”

Lil Tay is ALIVE and claims she was hacked, TMZ reached out and got a statement from her.

"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." pic.twitter.com/H0RPfNk4ZN

— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) August 10, 2023

Some claim her account was never hacked but rather her family faked her death for social media clout.

Lil Tay says her account was hacked, and she is not dead. It was definitely not hacked and her family faked her death for social media clout. It was obvious yesterday. pic.twitter.com/eK0ExPAS1A

— Harrison Krank (@HarrisonKrank) August 10, 2023

Per The Guardian:

Shock over a statement announcing the sudden death of Lil Tay, a 15-year-old internet personality and rapper who rose to viral fame as a foul-mouthed, braggadocious nine-year-old on Instagram, gave way to confusion after the girl’s father and former manager refused to confirm or deny her death, and TMZ has now reported that she is still alive.

An unsigned statement posted on to Lil Tay’s Instagram account on Wednesday said the star’s death at 15 was “sudden and tragic” and “entirely unexpected”. It also said that her older brother Jason Tian, who at one point had been in control of her account before it went dormant in 2018, had also died, and that both deaths were under investigation.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” the Instagram message read. (Lil Tay’s legal name was reported to be Claire Hope.) “This outcome was entirely unexpected and has left us all in shock. Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief.

“During this time of immense sorrow,” the statement continued, “we kindly ask for privacy as we grieve this overwhelming loss, as the circumstances surrounding Claire and her brother’s passing are still under investigation.”

The statement has since been removed from Instagram.

On Thursday, TMZ reported that the social media star was in fact still alive and that her Instagram had been hacked, citing a statement from her family. According to the statement, Lil Tay sought “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.”

BREAKING: Lil Tay is not dead.

She said to TMZ: "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… pic.twitter.com/wYzzgZx3Y3

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 10, 2023

TMZ had these details to add:

Social media personality Lil Tay is very much still alive — claiming her Instagram account was compromised — and used to spread “jarring misinformation” about her and her brother’s death.

In a statement provided to TMZ from Tay’s family, she tells TMZ, “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.”

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She also says, “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”.”