Tay "Lil Tay" Tian is reportedly alive and well, according to a statement from her family given to TMZ. The 14-year-old was a viral sensation back in 2018. She became famous for posting videos "flexing" her wealth and status. However, amid a nasty custody battle between her mother Angela Tian and her father Christopher Hope, Lil Tay's social media accounts fell silence. Many people claimed at the time that her parents had exploited their daughter for internet fame. The cessation of Lil Tay content concided with interviews in which Tian claimed she was being abused. Furthermore, there was backlash to videos in which Tian, who was 9 at the time, used the n-word.
However, it came as a shock to many as Tian's Instagram page posted for the first time since 2018 on August 9. The posted announced the news that Tian and her brother Jason had died unexpectedly. The news was met with equal parts grief and skepticism. Tian's father seemingly refused to confirm her death when contact by the media. Meanwhile, law enforcement in both LA and Vancouver stated that they had not received any notification of deaths matching Tian and her brother. Well, it appears we know why given Tian and her brother are seemingly not dead.
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Lil Tay Gives Statement
"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 traumatizing 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," Tian said in a statement to TMZ. "My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong. My legal name is Tay Tian, not "Claire Hope"."
However, the announcement has left questions for some people. Firstly, if this was an Instagram hack, why did her father not simply deny the rumors? Secondly, some have pointed to the "hacking" excuse as a pretty common deflection when someone messes up on social media. But, at the time of writing, all we know is what TMZ has been told. Tian's family is claiming it was a malicious Instagram and nothing more. This remains a developing story and we'll have any updates here at HotNewHipHop.
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