Lil Tay dead at 14: Controversial social media star rapper who shot to fame at age NINE has ‘suddenly’ passed away family reveals – while announcing her BROTHER has also died
- The news of Lil Tay’s ‘sudden and tragic’ passing was confirmed via Instagram
- The unnamed family member also revealed that the star’s brother had also died
- Lil Tay, who was originally from Canada, garnered viral fame aged just nine
Online influencer and rapper Lil Tay has died at the age of 14 – five years after the controversial social media star – whose real name was Claire Hope – shot to online fame.
The news of her ‘sudden and tragic’ passing was confirmed by an unnamed family member in a statement shared on the teen’s Instagram account today – when it was revealed that her 21-year-old brother, Jason Tian, had also died.
‘It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,’ the post – which did not reveal the cause of death – began.
‘We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain.’
Online influencer and rapper Lil Tay has died at the age of 14
The news of her ‘sudden and tragic’ passing was confirmed by an unnamed family member in a statement shared on the teen’s Instagram account today
‘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.
‘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.’
It concluded: ‘Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.’
Lil Tay, who was originally from Canada but moved to Los Angeles, garnered viral fame on YouTube and social media after she began posting videos in 2017 aged just nine.
Her controversial videos showed her cussing, insulting passersby, flashing stacks of cash and even starting fights.
She had previously posted videos using language like n****, p****, and c*** to spark interest in her content and had later appeared on Good Morning America with mother Angela Tian to defend her image.
It was then that it was revealed Angela had worked as a real estate agent in Vancouver, Canada, before she lost her job because she let her daughter ‘flex’ in some of the homes she was supposed to be showing to other clients.
But, despite the critics, Lil Tay quickly racked up more than 3.3 million followers on Instagram alone and had been pegged as one of the internet’s biggest rising stars.
Lil Tay, who was originally from Canada but moved to Los Angeles, garnered viral fame on YouTube and social media after she began posting videos in 2017 aged just nine
Her controversial videos showed her cussing, insulting people, flashing stacks of cash and even starting fights
However, she has been noticeably absent from social media in the past five years with her last post on the platform being in honor of rapper XXXTentacion following his death in 2018.
It read: ‘X you truly changed me. You were there for me when everyone wanted me to fail, you were there to give me advice, you were there.
‘As a father figure, when I don’t have one, you were here, FaceTiming me and calling me for hours when I’m down…
‘I can’t believe this, the evil in the world, This isn’t good Bye. I love you Bro.’
She had previously sparked serious concern among her fanbase after she deleted all of her social media posts and wrote the words ‘help me’ on her Instagram Story.
She had previously posted videos of her using language like n****, p****, and c*** to spark interest in her content
In May 2018, it was claimed that the young girl was actually being exploited by 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 – with one capturing him giving her an instruction to ‘be more ignorant.’
After the videos emerged online, Lil Tay’s Instagram and YouTube accounts were quickly scrubbed – prompting speculation that the pressures of the spotlight had become too much her and her family to handle.
A spokesperson for the family told Buzzfeed News at the time that Lil Tay’s brother was ‘rebranding’ her, and urged fans to stay tuned for future updates on the young star.
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