Is ‘Lil Tay’ Really Dead? The Controversy Surrounding the Instagram Star’s Alleged Death

On Wednesday evening, an Instagram post went viral announcing the death of controversial social media star Lil Tay and her older brother, 21-year-old Jason Tian.

Lil Tay, whose legal name is Tay Tian (previously reported as Claire Hope), is known for her coarse, explicit language, public fights, association with rappers, and flaunting of expensive items and cash. Calling herself the “world’s youngest flexer,” she has amassed 3.5 million Instagram followers.

The now-deleted post on Lil Tay’s account read: “It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s [Lil Tay] sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. 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, 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. Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.”

However, 24 hours later, Lil Tay released a statement via TMZ, claiming her account had been hacked and she was, in fact, alive. “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. My Instagram account was compromised by a third 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.”

Rumors of the event being a hoax began circulating as early as Wednesday evening, with many pointing to the lack of police investigation or knowledge from family members as evidence. According to the Daily Mail, neither the police in Los Angeles (where Lil Tay had been living) nor Vancouver (her birthplace) had any knowledge or record of Tay or Jason Tian’s death.

This isn’t the first time Lil Tay has been embroiled in controversy. In 2018, she apologized after using the n-word in a video posted in 2017 on social media. “It’s just that everyone was telling me that it’s OK. So when I filmed the video, I just thought it was OK and I didn’t really think that much of it,” said Lil Tay at the time. She claimed to be 9 years old when the content was filmed.

Lil Tay has been largely silent on social media since 2018, allegedly due to a difficult legal custody battle between her parents. Her last activity on Instagram, before the announcement of her “death,” was in June 2018, a tribute to her late “father figure” and American rapper xxxtentacion.