Teen influencer Lil Tay is reported to be alive, a day after it was announced she had died.
A statement posted to Instagram yesterday by what was believed to be an anonymous family member said the 14-year-old's passing was "sudden and tragic".
“We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain," the statement said, while also claiming her older brother had also died.
“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.
“Claire [Lil Tay's legal name was reported to be Claire Hope] will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.
“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."
The statement has since been removed from Instagram.
Confusion ensued later in the day when Lil Tay's former manager Harry Tsang released a statement saying he could not confirm nor deny her death.
Today, TMZ reported the social media star was in fact still alive and that her Instagram had been hacked, citing a statement believed to be from the star's family.
According to the statement, Lil Tay said "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 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"."
Canadian Tian moved to Los Angeles where she built an online following from the age of nine.
Her videos showed her swearing and insulting strangers, with her clips featuring words such as n****, p****, and c***.
She rapidly racked up more than 3.3 million followers on Instagram and was being tipped to become one of the web’s biggest stars.
In May 2018, it was claimed she was being exploited by her older brother Jason after a series of videos came out that showed him coaching her on what to say in her controversial posts and clips.
The police departments in Vancouver, where Lil Tay was raised, and Los Angeles, where she resided for a time during her viral fame, had no information on the death of anyone named Claire Hope, according to Insider. The Vancouver police department confirmed they were not investigating a case.
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