Tragedy as 14-year-old YouTuber 'heartbroken' as she's dragged into cruel death hoax
Social media rapper Lil Tay, was dragged into a cruel death hoax at the age of 14, alongside her brother. The news was released in a statement via social media by their family, which has now been confirmed as fake.
The Candian influencer gained popularity online in 2018 when she was said to be around nine years old. Her rapping videos, showing off her lavish style, contributed to her rise in prominence, where she famously referred to herself as “the youngest flexer of the century”.
Lil Tay’s family in ‘indescribable pain’
Taking to the 14-year-old’s 3.3 million Instagram followers, in a false statement at the time that has now been deleted, Lil Tay’s ‘family’ released a statement after Claire and her brother’s tragic passing. The statement 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. 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 that knew and loved her,” they concluded.
But they have now confirmed the account was “compromised” and the news was fake.
Tributes for the social media star come pouring in
Fans of the star have taken to Twitter to share their tributes to the young social media star after her reported ‘unexpected’ death at the time.
“This makes me so sad 🥺 Long Live Lil Tay,” penned one.
“Rip. Anything can happen at any moment,” commented another.
One fan wrote: “Rip she deserved better.”
“Rip Lil Tay, continue to flex on all of us from the beyond,” wrote one fan.
Lil Tay is not dead
The reported news of Lil Tay’s passing comes after she took a five-year-long hiatus from social media, after her vast rise in popularity online. The post, which has now been deleted, after a claimed ‘hack’ was the first on the account since 2018.
Speaking to TMZ the teen 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”.”
Related Topics
MORE CELEBRITY STORIES
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmroaSuwaqwwaKrZ5ufonxzfJFsZmlwX2WGcMDRmp6enKlirrR5kG1ksp2Rp3qwuMNmsKitpKqvpr6MnaCeq12owqWwxKejsmWRo7FussCmoKWxXZ67brXNnZysm6Ker6Kuy55kqZmZo3w%3D