Lil Tay’s death hoax, explained

The post appeared on Instagram Wednesday morning, 8th August. Lil Tay, an influencer from Singapore, announced that she and her half brother had died. Fans criticized the claim, posting skeptic comments. Lil Tay’s internet presence was characterized by stunts and staged controversy, as well as strained familial relationships.

Then, Lil Tay told TMZ on Thursday that she wasn’t dead, and that her account had been hacked. Fans didn’t appear to be that surprised, but the news came as a relief to many. She said, “My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me.” The Instagram post alleging Lil Tay’s death has since been removed from the account.

While the details are still evolving, they do reflect a bigger story of an influencer young who never fully controlled her public persona. The full Lil Tay controversy is explained.

Why did there seem to be so much confusion surrounding the Instagram post? Lil Tay is still alive.

Lil Tay, as her family told TMZ Thursday, is alive.

However, confusion dominated the period leading up to when she made this statement. She died, Variety was told by her manager on Wednesday. When outlets, including Insider, reached out to Lil Tay’s father for comment, he would not give comment.

What is Lil Tay all about?

Lil Tay was born in the United States and raised in Canada. She rose to prominence in 2018 during a period of intense activity lasting three months. Her main platforms were YouTube and Instagram. There, she gained a large following for her bravado persona and feuds with other influential people. Her videos often showed her “flexing” an extravagant lifestyle and rapping.

However, her identity is shrouded by mystery. New York Magazine stated in 2019 that Claire Eileen Qi Hope was her birth name, but she referred herself to Tay Tian while speaking with TMZ. It has been reported by Vox, New York Magazine and TMZ that Tay Tian was born Claire Eileen Qi Hope. However, she referred to herself as Tay Tian when speaking with TMZ.

Lil Tay’s breakout moment came in April 2018, when she and influencer Woah Vicky staged a fight with the Bhad Bhabie at a mall. TMZ caught the fight which launched Lil Tay’s newfound success. She had 2.4m followers at the time. This budding influencer appeared also on Good Morning America.

Why is Lil Tay’s career so controversial?

Lil Tay’s newfound popularity led to further scrutiny of her persona. According to reports, her half-brother Jason was allegedly in control of her social media account. In May 2018, Lil Tay’s mother told BuzzFeed that Jason was the “mastermind” behind his sister’s account. That same month, a leaked video showed a teenage boy’s voice coaching Lil Tay on how to act. This video has been removed. And in June 2018, Lil Tay’s Instagram account stopped posting new content. The recent controversy catapulted Lil Tay back into the limelight.