Lil Tay rocketed to fame at 9 years old, disappeared from social media, and became the speculation of a death hoax
Lil Tay achieved viral fame as a foul-mouthed wealth-flexing child star.
Earlier this week, an Instagram post on her verified account announced that she and her brother had died.
Conflicting reports now cast doubt on the news. Here's how we got here.
On August 9, an anonymous statement on the verified Instagram page for Lil Tay rocked the web.
It said that the once-viral, foul-mouthed child star, real name Claire Hope, had died at the age of 15. Her brother Jason Tian had died, too, according to the statement that's been deleted as of Thursday. But the shock quickly gave way to suspicion.
Lil Tay's father, Christopher Hope, as well as an ex-manager, Harry Tsang, declined to confirm the news to Insider, and no public corroboration subsequently emerged. Furthermore, law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles and Vancouver — two cities where Lil Tay is known to have lived — said there were no active death investigations.
Many on social media became convinced it was all a hoax. And a report from TMZ the following day overtly said so, citing Tay's immediate family. The statement said Tay and her brother were "safe and alive," alleging her account had been "compromised by a third party and used to spread jarring misinformation." The statement has not been otherwise corroborated.
As social media reels about the twisted turn of events, here's what we know about the controversy-ensnared star and the long-feuding adults who have pulled the strings behind-the-scenes of her career.
The self-touted 'youngest flexer of the century'
Lil Tay burst into virality in 2017 at the age of 9 as the self-proclaimed "youngest flexer of the century."
Viewers initially couldn't get enough of the braggadocious and foul-mouthed child best known for flashing piles of cash, insulting her viewers, and inciting feuds with other internet characters, such as Danielle Bregoli, known as Bhad Bhabie, and collaborating with controversial YouTubers like Jake Paul.
But in 2018, as journalists began to question the adults around her, her caricature became more concerning.
In May, several videos went viral apparently showing Tay's teenage brother, Jason Tian, feeding her lines, supporting concerns she was being used by her family to stir drama and make money. Her mother, Angela Tian, a Vancouver real estate agent, was also reportedly fired for using her boss's car and rental apartments as backdrops and props in her videos.
In early June 2018, Lil Tay disappeared from the internet, her YouTube and Instagram were wiped clean. Her manager at the time, Harry Tsang, said that a rebranding was underway.
Lil Tay's Instagram account became mostly dormant, punctuated by odd and cryptic reappearances
After wiping her account, Lil Tay briefly returned to social media in late June 2018 to mourn the death of rapper XXXTentacion, who had been shot to death while awaiting trial for a 2016 domestic abuse incident involving his then-pregnant girlfriend.
XXXTentacion had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were dropped posthumously. Still, a Pitchfork report in 2018 reported that the rapper confessed to abusing his girlfriend although he didn't go into specifics.
The rapper hardly seemed like an appropriate friend for a 9-year-old.
"As a father figure," Lil Tay's account wrote in the memorial post, "when I don't have one, you were here, FaceTiming me and calling me for hours when I'm down." The post added that the two had been planning a charity event.
Several weeks after that, she shared a cryptic message in her Instagram Stories that read, "'Help me." Days later, she revealed the trailer for a new reality show on The Zeus Network called "Life With Lil Tay."
The trailer showed Lil Tay "flexing" with cars and money, learning to dance, expressing interest in making music, and apologizing to people she offended (like when she used the n-word.)
Lil Tay's management team said the show was filmed to shed the young star in a new light. However, more complications and concerning allegations about Tay's family and circle would emerge.
Adults in Lil Tay's orbit waged a battle over her brand
In October 2018, Insider's Jacob Shamsian reported on the clash between several of the adults in her life, including immediate family members and talent reps, over the future of Lil Tay's business and brand.
Behind the scenes, her father, Christopher Hope, manager Tsang, and a music promoter named Chris Jones wanted her to focus on her music career and build out a presence on TikTok, while her mother and brother Jason were focused on cultivating her brash persona.
The argument over Tay's career intersected with the already contentious relationship between her divorced parents, who share custody of the influencer.
"My daughter, Lil Tay, has been with me since birth. She never goes to Christopher Hope's house," her mother told Insider in 2019. "If she wasn't famous, do you think he would bother? ... He just wants fame and money."
Lil Tay's family continued to fight over their child's future
The conflict between Lil Tay's parents came to a head after the young influencer went to Los Angeles with her mom and brother in April 2018. Hope told Insider that the trio stayed longer than expected and missed 72 days of school "for no reason."
He then sought a court order to have her mother, Angela, and his daughter return to Vancouver, which was granted in May of that year. Angela told Insider at the time that she blamed Hope for stifling the growth of the Lil Tay brand, and alleged that he hadn't seen Lil Tay in years until she became famous.
Hope disputed these claims, telling Insider that he was trying to set aside money for her future.
"I think the story here isn't 'Dad didn't take care of his celebrity daughter and wanted to get involved because she's a celebrity,'" he said. "The story is 'Dad tried to do the right thing to make sure his daughter is protected. And as a result, the people that want to make money off the daughter went to war with him.'"
After that, Lil Tay's Instagram account posted accusations of unsubstantiated claims of abuse against her father. Tay's mother claimed her Instagram account had been hacked.
After Tay and her mother were ordered back to Vancouver, the behind-the-scenes battle became public.
In October 2018, the person or persons controlling Lil Tay's Instagram posted unsubstantiated accusations of abuse against her father, which were then deleted. Hope denied the claims and sent a cease-and-desist letter to Instagram.
Hope told Insider at the time that he'd received thousands of phone calls and messages from Lil Tay supporters after a secondary account, @freeliltay__, reiterated the abuse allegations and posted Hope's personal contact information online. The freeliltay__ account also urged followers to call Hope and leave reviews at his workplace.
At the time, Tay's mother Angela told Insider that her brother Jason controlled her official Instagram account, but denied being behind the accusations. Instead, she said, a hacker had gained control of the account and was posting without permission.
Back then, she shared with Insider a copy of a police report she had made reporting the alleged hacking.
Tay and her brother made the same accusations against Tay's father in 2021. He again refuted them.
After years of silence, Lil Tay's Instagram became active again in April 2021 when posts seemingly made by her brother said the account was raising money for her legal defense. The account baselessly claimed yet again that her father was "physically and mentally" abusive and that he had "stolen all of her money."
The statements echoed posts made on Lil Tay's Instagram page years prior and featured a video of the young influencer crying.
Jason Tian said in a post that he'd commandeered the account. He also launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise thousands of dollars in a bid to help their mom regain full custody of Tay.
When asked for comment at the time, Hope responded with a YouTube video in which another former manager associated with Lil Tay, Diomi Cordero, outlined her brother Jason's plans.
"Her brother was the creator of the character when they first started, he just lost control of it," Cordero said.
Read the original article on Insider