Lil Tay: Mystery as child rapper reported alive following false Instagram death post

Star thanks Meta for recovering hacked account

Lil Tay achieved viral fame after she began posting rap videos on Instagram. Photo: @liltay / Instagram

Canadian rapper Lil Tay, who rose to fame with her expletive-filled rap videos at the age of nine, was incorrectly reported as dead this week in a false Instagram post – according to a report from TMZ.

“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 traumatising 24 hours,” the outlet reported Lil Tay saying.

“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 rumours regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong.

“My legal name is Tay Tian, not 'Claire Hope'.”

The original post announcing her death 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.

“Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief.”

The Instagram post announcing Lil Tay's death has since been deleted. Photo: @liltay / Instagram

Lil Tay achieved viral fame after she began posting rap videos on Instagram. She called herself the “youngest flexer of the century” with her videos often featuring her throwing money and showcasing a lavish lifestyle.

She has more than three million followers.

In 2018, stories of a custody battle between her parents began to circulate.

“Right now I’m in a bad situation and I don’t want to talk about these things,” Lil Tay told The Daily Beast.

She said that her father had “filed something to the court and the court ordered us to go back here, and he said that I was in danger and stuff”.

Lil Tay moved to Los Angeles with her mother Angela Tian and brother, while her estranged father, Christopher Hope, lives in Vancouver, Canada.

In an interview with Good Morning America in 2018, Lil Tay denied claims she was being pressured by her family to make the videos.

“No one's forcing me to do this. That's not true that she wants to make money out of me,” she said, sitting next to her mother. “This is my decision. I'm happy with what I'm doing.”