Online influencer and rapper Lil Tay has died aged 14 – five years after the controversial social media star – whose real name was Claire Hope – rose to fame online.
News of her ‘sudden and tragic’ passing was confirmed by an anonymous family member in a statement shared on the teenager’s Instagram account today – when it was revealed that her 21-year-old brother Jason Tian, had also passed away.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the devastating news of the sudden and tragic passing of our beloved Claire,” the post began – which did not disclose the cause of death.
“We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain.”
Online influencer and rapper Lil Tay has died aged 14
News of her ‘sudden and tragic’ passing was confirmed by an unnamed family member in a statement shared on the teenager’s Instagram account today.
“This result was totally unexpected and left us all in shock. The passing of his brother adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief.
“During this time of immense grief, we kindly ask for privacy as we mourn this overwhelming loss, as the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Claire and her brother are still under investigation.”
He concluded: “Claire will forever be 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, rose to viral fame on YouTube and social media after he started posting videos in 2017 at just nine years old.
Her controversial videos showed her swearing, insulting passers-by, showing stacks of cash and even starting fights.
She previously posted videos of herself using language like n****, p**** and c*** to generate interest in her content and even appeared on Good Morning America with her mother Angela Tian. to defend its image.
It was then revealed that Angela worked as a real estate agent in Vancouver, Canada, before losing her job because she left her daughter ‘flexible’ in some of the houses she was supposed to show to other customers.
But, despite the criticism, Lil Tay quickly racked up over 3.3 million followers on Instagram and was considered one of the internet’s biggest rising stars.
Lil Tay, who was originally from Canada but moved to Los Angeles, rose to viral fame on YouTube and social media after he started posting videos in 2017 at just nine years old.
Her controversial videos showed her swearing, insulting people, showing stacks of cash and even starting fights
However, she has been noticeably absent from social media for the past five years, with her last post on the platform being in honor of rapper XXXTentacion following his death in 2018.
He was like, ‘X you really 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 there, FaceTiming me and calling me for hours when I’m down…
‘I can’t believe this, the evil in the world, It’s not a good goodbye. I love you brother.’
She had previously caused serious concern among her fan base after deleting all her social media posts and writing the words “help me” on her Instagram story.
She had previously posted videos of herself using language like n****, p**** and c*** to generate interest in her content
In May 2018, it was claimed the girl was in fact exploited by older brother Jason after a series of videos emerged which showed him coaching her on what to say in his controversial posts and clips – one of them capturing him giving him an instruction. ‘to be more ignorant.’
After the videos went live, Lil Tay’s Instagram and YouTube accounts were quickly scrubbed, suggesting that the pressures of the spotlight had become too much for her and her family to handle.
A family spokesperson told Buzzfeed News at the time that Lil Tay’s brother was “renaming” her and urged fans to stay tuned for future updates on the young star.
