Claire Hope, who was better known to the world as Lil Tay, rose to fame as a controversial influencer at the age of just 9 years old. Her online persona was controversial both because of her young age and because of the content in the photos and videos posted to her Instagram account. Her online persona was that she had earned millions of dollars as a child and personally owned luxury houses and cars. She also used curse words and acted in ways that some found inappropriate.

At the age of 9, Tay and her mother, Angela Tian, sat down for an interview with Good Morning America to discuss her online persona and her social media use at such a young age. She had recently moved to Los Angeles with her mother to pursue her dream of becoming an influencer, and she shared, “No one is forcing me to do this.” She also denied the accusation that her mother was trying to profit off of her internet fame.

 

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A post shared by Lil Tay (@liltay)

In 2018, Tay disappeared from social media. According to Variety, her parents were in a custody battle for Tay. Her dad, Christopher Hope, wanted her to move back to Vancouver where she was from.

In the GMA interview, Tay insisted that she ran her own Instagram account and that her mother wasn’t controlling it; however, The Cut suggests that her Instagram was actually run by her brother, Jason Tian. The Cut also claims that Tay’s father got a court order to require his daughter to return to Vancouver and to require her Instagram to be shut down.

Tay’s most recent Instagram post was from 2018, that is, until today. Earlier today, August 9, 2023, a statement was posted on Tay’s Instagram claiming that both Tay and her brother have died. The statement reads, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock. Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief.”

 

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A post shared by Lil Tay (@liltay)

Reportedly, Tay and her family were most recently living in Vancouver. According to the police department in Vancouver, they are “not aware” of Tay or her brother’s death, and they are also “not investigating” either of their deaths. This is interesting considering that statement from Tay’s family claims, “Claire and her brother’s passing are still under investigation.”

Many of the comments on this recent Instagram post are from followers who find this post strange. Comments including statements like “something seems off” and “sad but a little odd and strange.”

Tay would only be 14 years old. If her death is real, may she rest in peace.