Lil Tay lives – apparently.
The world was rocked by the alarming news that viral sensation Lil Tay had tragically
passed away at the age of 14.
The story was reported by many outlets, including Variety, with many citing a post on the young
artist's Instagram page that few had reasons to doubt.
But as the hours passed, commenters started wondering if the shocking news might be a puzzling hoax.
Here's all the red flags we found, and what we know about the story so far.
On August 9th, 2023, a statement was posted to Lil Tay's Instagram announcing that she
had passed away.
The statement, which referred to Tay by the name "Claire," read,
"It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire's 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."
The statement continued to reveal that not only had Tay passed away, but her brother,
Jason Tian, had also tragically died not long before the news of her death.
It alleged that Hope and Tian's "deaths" were under investigation.
After the news was announced, social media flooded with tributes to the young star, with
concern about how she may have passed at such a young age.
However, others weren't so sure that Lil Tay had actually passed away.
As a viral sensation, Lil Tay's brand is rooted in controversy, making the idea of a hoax
tempting to consider.
Turns out, the doubters were right.
Just a day after her death was announced, Lil Tay confirmed to TMZ that she was still alive.
"I'm Lil Tay, the youngest flexer of the century.
Nothing can stop me!"
Plenty of theories came from the news of Lil Tay's death, including the one that the viral
star had a "burner" account on social media.
It's not abnormal for a celebrity or internet star to create an anonymous burner account
where they post more freely, but Tay's alleged burner account, identified by online sleuths,
was a bit concerning.
Many fans believed that Tay was posting under the Instagram account "termanii."
The account, which has since been deleted, had only one post: a photo of Tay and a concerning caption.
The caption alleged, "To Be Clear I Am Not Dead.
I Don't Have Access Anymore to The Lil Tay Instagram Account...Our Parents Took Everything
and They Abused Tay, Hard."
Whether or not the account was legitimate was not verified before its deletion.
Many other purported burner accounts emerged as well, making it even harder to tell what
was real and what was not.
It's no secret that Lil Tay has had a complex history with her parents.
In 2021, Tay's brother, Jason, created a GoFundMe page alleging the viral sensation was abused
by her father, Christopher Hope.
In addition, Tay's mother, Angela Tian, and her brother have been accused of exploiting
the internet star, who first entered the public eye at the age of 9.
Another suspicious sign fans noticed was Lil Tay's YouTube bio, which alarmingly read, "Help me."
However, Page Six reported that it was unclear as to when the bio was last updated.
It wasn't the first time that Lil Tay's social media had shared a "help me" message.
In 2018, Tay seemed to disappear at the height of her fame, only re-emerging to share an
Instagram story with the words "Help me."
In 2019 Tay revealed to The Daily Beast that she had disappeared from the internet because
she was at the center of a custody battle between her mother and father.
Although she addressed her disappearance, Tay never spoke about the "help me" message.
One of the last straws in the hoax theory was the fact that Tay's father, Christopher,
refused to comment on his daughter's reported death when contacted by the media.
Insider reported, quote, "he could not comment on the Instagram post and declined to answer
whether his daughter was still alive."
A similar story by the New York Post reported her dad as saying,
"You have the right person, but I don’t have any comment right now."
Tay's former manager, Harry Tsang, also declined to confirm the report of Tay's death.
Tsang told Insider, "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."
Theories of a hoax were finally confirmed when TMZ reported, per a statement from Tay's
family, that neither she nor her brother were dead.
The statement read, "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."
Tay's statement also alleged, "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.'"
With that, the mystery of Lil Tay's death seems to have been solved.
But the truth behind what really happened with this high-profile hoax?
That still remains to be seen.