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Netizens have recently questioned the legitimacy of rapper and social media star Lil Tay aka Claire Hope's sudden death after an Instagram post by the user Termanii alleged she is alive. The 14-year-old's supposed passing was confirmed in a statement on her official IG account on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, which read:
"It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing."
Along with the internet star's sudden death, the note also claimed that her brother, Jason Tian, had passed away. The strange note offered no explanation as to when and where both the siblings died but added that their deaths were being investigated.
When asked for clarification, Claire's father, Christopher Hope, declined to answer.
Soon, an account claiming to be Jason alleged that they were both alive and added that their parents, who have access to the account, were spreading misinformation.
The mysterious circumstances surrounding her (and her brother's) death left netizens baffled and they shared their questions online.
"Something ain't right": Netizens question Lil Tay's death as news remains unconfirmed
As Lil Tay's father refused to confirm her death and contradictory reports popped up on social media, with internet users questioning the legitimacy of her death.
Who is Lil Tay?
Lil Tay became an internet sensation around March 2018 for her brash and controversial videos which showed her driving expensive cars and flaunting stacks of cash. She was only nine years old at the time.
By mid-2018, she virtually disappeared from social media after a video leaked of a voice behind the camera feeding her lines. Many assumed her brother was in control of the IG account and was the one prompting the lines.
In 2021, the account shared posts, seemingly from Jason, claiming that her father was "physically and mentally" abusing Tay and raising money for legal defense. However, the father denied the accusations, stating that the account was hacked.
Adding to the puzzling circumstances brewing around the alleged deaths, Lil Tay's former manager, Harry Tsang, stated that the news called for "cautious consideration," and added that he couldn't confirm or deny their deaths.
Police departments from Vancouver (where Tay was raised) and Los Angeles confirmed that they were not investigating the death of anyone named Claire Hope. It remains unconfirmed whether Lil Tay and her brother died.
