Yesterday, the world mourned 16-year-old rapper Lil Tay, whose real name is Tay Tian, and her brother Jason after their family posted a statement announcing their passing on Lil Tay’s Instagram. Following an outpouring of love and condolences, it became apparent that Lil Tay and Jason are not dead and the announcement was a hoax organised by people who allegedly hacked her IG account. Now, Lil Tay has issued a statement confirming that she her brother are “safe and alive.”
“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,” the 16-year-old told TMZ.
“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 third 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.”
She went on to thank Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, for helping her get her account back.
In case you missed it, Lil Tay rose to prominence online when she was just 10 years old in 2018. She gained more than 3.4 million followers for her expletive-driven rants and raps coming from the sweet angelic face of a child. For three months Lil Tay and her family lived in the viral spotlight, and even went on Good Morning America to talk about her success.
But then Lil Tay slowly vanished into obscurity until Thursday when a statement was posted on her account on behalf of her family.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” the now-deleted statement posted on Lil Tay’s Instagram read.
“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 went on to seemingly confirm her brother also passed away.
“Her bother’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.”
While many people mourned and the news spread like wildfire, there soon became speculation over the legitimacy of these claims.
Outlets such as TMZ contacted the police in Lil Tay’s local area and family members to discover that they knew nothing of her passing. In fact, even her father said he couldn’t “confirm nor deny” her passing.
Although it’s been a confusing 24 hours, thankfully Lil Tay and her brother are alive and well.
The post ‘I’m Alive’: Lil Tay Has Released A Statement Confirming She And Her Brother Are Not Dead appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
