On Wednesday, August 9, 2023, Lil Tay’s Instagram account posted a statement announcing the influencer’s death. It also shared that her brother Jason had died. Lil Tay's management confirmed the siblings had died to Variety. The next day, Lil Tay’s family issued a statement to TMZ saying Lil Tay and Jason are alive and well.
The statement explained the Instagram post was the result of hacking. Before the now-deleted death announcement, Lil Tay’s account had previously been silent since 2018. During an ongoing custody battle, Lil Tay’s parents reportedly had disagreements over how the now 14-year-old should utilize social media fame.
"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 statement given to TMZ begins. “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,’" the statement concludes.
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Lil Tay first hit the 'Gram in 2018 at the age of 9. Audiences were captivated by her raps celebrating luxury lifestyles that used adult language. She faced criticism for appropriating hip-hop culture and using the "n-word."
