Teen rapper Lil Tay releases statement after mysterious death report: ‘I’m alive’

Controversial social media star and rapper Lil Tay has released a statement revealing she is still alive despite a death report. Photo / Instagram

A bizarre new twist in the case of Lil Tay has revealed the young social media star is still alive despite claims she died in a car accident yesterday.

The 14-year-old rapper and influencer issued a statement to media today revealing she hadn’t died on Thursday after an announcement saying she and her brother had passed away was posted to her Instagram account earlier in the day.

Speaking to TMZ about the misinformation, she explained the alleged death announcement was the result of her social media account being hacked, and had left her heartbroken and traumatised: “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. 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 young star was reportedly involved in a car accident that killed both her and her brother, however she has now denied the claim insisting her Instagram was hacked. Photo / Instagram

The statement announcing the young star’s “unexpected” death – and that of her brother Jason Tian – was shared on her official Instagram page Wednesday morning.

Apparently posted by an anonymous family member, it said: “We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribably pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected and has left us all in shock.

“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.

“Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.”

A post made to Instagram revealed Lil Tay and her brother had died. Photo / Instagram

The young rapper had not been active online since 2018, around the time she was caught in the middle of a nasty custody battle between her parents, Angela Tian and Christopher Hope.

The Canadian-born influencer moved to Los Angeles where she built an online following from the age of 9.

Her videos showed her swearing and insulting strangers, with her clips featuring offensive words and she rapidly gained more than 3.3 million followers on Instagram, being tipped to become one of the internet’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.

A spokesperson for the family told Buzzfeed News at the time Jason was “rebranding” her and promised fresh content from her after posts were removed from her Instagram and YouTube channel.