Even if you don't recognize the name of Kailia Posey, you've almost certainly seen her face.
Where?
Keep watching for the tragic details of this young beauty queen's death.
On May 2, 2022, Marcy Posey Gatterman, mother of "Toddlers and Tiaras" star Kailia Posey,
shared on Facebook,
People magazine confirmed Kailia's death, noting that she was 16 years old at the time
of her passing.
Neither Gatterman nor TLC has followed up with details on the cause of her death.
Posey's final post was shared on April 23 from a recently created Instagram account.
The post shows the smiling teen on a colorfully lit staircase on what looks to be a cruise
as she poses in a red two-piece skirt and top with ruffled sleeves.
The caption reads, "None of your concern" and includes the hashtag #cambriescourt in
a nod to her continued pageant presence.
Cambrie Littlefield was a pageant coach seen on "Toddlers and Tiaras."
Pageants were clearly a lifelong pursuit for this talented teen.
It was at a childhood pageant that she first rose to widespread fame.
She appeared on a single episode of TLC's "Toddlers and Tiaras" in 2012 at the age of
5, when she was in the California Tropic Arizona pageant.
Her smile made her become one of the more recognizable faces of the show.
"My name's Kailia and I'm five year and a half!"
Many social media users are familiar with Posey without even realizing it.
A gif from her single episode of "Toddlers and Tiaras," often called "the grinning girl"
or "the innocent girl," has become a widespread meme.
Posey can be seen grinning exuberantly while looking off to the side.
There's definitely a little mischief mixed in with the joy.
There's a backdrop full of tiaras and pageant trophies.
Informatique Mania lists the image as one of the most famous gifs in internet history
on its 2020 list.
"Toddlers and Tiaras" was a show that sometimes had controversy, with colorful characters
like Honey Boo Boo and Mama June.
But Posey's simple motivation captured hearts.
The tot bluntly explained why she loved competing in pageants:
"Um, winning.
Cause I like to win moneeey!"
In true childlike fashion, she had grand plans for those earnings as well, saying she planned
to use her winnings to buy candy.
It seems like over her short career, Posey may have succeeded in raking in some earnings
to buy candy.
The young beauty queen was featured again on TLC in a 2016 update.
She also posted her wins in different pageants across social media.
Most recently, she was Miss Teen Lynden, Washington 2022.
While there is no confirmation as to cause of death, BNO News reported rumors of a Las
Vegas car accident.
Family, friends, and fans are understandably devastated.
Commenters shared their condolences on her mother's post confirming her death, with one saying,
Another said,
Posey also had one acting credit, portraying the character Agnes in the 2019 Netflix thriller "Eli."
She also had academic success.
According to Posey's bio, she was on the Dean's List for the 2020/2021 school year.
The bio adds,
Kailia's friend, Biancha, who photographed Kalia's last Instagram post, wrote her own
tribute, saying,