Lil Tay has confirmed that she is alive and well after what she described as a "very traumatizing" 24 hours following a post on her Instagram account that claimed she and her brother had passed away.
According to a statement obtained by TMZ, the 14-year-old Canadian rapper and social media personality, whose legal name is Tay Tian, said that her Instagram account "was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors" on Wednesday.
"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," read the statement, which was provided by Tay's family on her behalf. "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."
Tay also noted that the fake post incorrectly said that her legal name was "Claire Hope."
Fans were left confused after a post to her official Instagram account, which claimed to be issued by Tay's family, said that she and her brother, Jason Tian, had died. The statement was the first time Tay's account made a post since 2018, the same year that the young rapper rose to fame after a series of controversial videos.
Tay's father, Christopher Hope, reportedly told Insider on Wednesday that he could not comment on the statement and declined to say whether his daughter was alive. The internet star's former manager, Harry Tsang, also told the outlet via email that he could not "definitively confirm or dismiss the legitimacy of the statement issued by the family."
According to a 2019 feature by New York magazine, Tay was born in 2007 in Vancouver, Canada. Her mother, Angela Tian, never married her father, and the two split before her second birthday.
After the character "Lil Tay" was born, Tian, who was Tay's primary caregiver at the time, told the rapper's father that she wanted to take her to Los Angeles to pursue her career. Hope gave permission, but was under the impression that Tay would only be away from home for a short period of time, according to the New York article.
During her short time in California, Tay created content with several stars, including YouTuber Jake Paul, rapper Chief Keef and the American DJ Diplo. She also recorded a song, "Money Way," which was uploaded to YouTube in May 2018.
Eventually, Hope filed a court order requiring that Tay return to Vancouver and close down her Instagram account. On June 3, 2018, just a few months after skyrocketing to fame, Tay's Instagram account was wiped.
