The young Canadian internet rapper, Lil Tay, died tragically and suddenly, her management team confirmed in a statement.
The family of the pre-teen artist, whose real name was Claire Hope, expressed their deep grief on Lil Tay’s Instagram page, which has over 3.3 million followers. A heartbreaking message read: “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.”
As we mourn this devastating loss, the entire world is asked to respect the family’s need for privacy as they grieve and while details surrounding the circumstances of Claire and her brother’s death are still under investigation. Amidst this tremendous sorrow, we must remember that she will forever remain in our hearts, leaving behind an irreplaceable void that can never be filled.
Five years after mysteriously disappearing from social media, details of Lil Tay’s life and family are being revealed. Once a 9-year-old Instagram sensation, known as the “youngest flexer of the century” for her outrageous posts boasting her lavish lifestyle, Lil Tay was associated with popular rappers including Chief Keef and XXXTentacion.
However, in June 2018, she suddenly vanished from the internet amid backlash for using the N-word in one of her posts. It soon became apparent that she was caught up in a highly contentious custody battle between her parents. Strange rumours began to circulate online about her wellbeing and family situation, while her Instagram account was wiped clean before the words “help me” were posted abruptly to her story.
The docuseries ‘Life With Lil Tay’ released around the same time painted an even more chaotic picture of the troubled young star’s circumstances. After five years of hearsay and speculation, the truth behind Lil Tay’s disappearance is slowly unraveling and everyone is eager to find out what happened next.
The story of Lil Tay, the precocious child star, took a dramatic turn earlier this year with the emergence of a series of abuse allegations against her father, Christopher Hope. According to reports, these allegations were posted to Lil Tay’s Instagram account in an alleged hack.
The accusations claimed that Hope had returned to Canada and was exploiting his daughter’s growing fame for financial gain. Lil Tay’s former manager, Harry Tsang, however denied these claims in an interview with The Daily Beast.
During a phone interview with the same publication, Lil Tay and her mother opened up about the tension between them and Hope. They explained that “the court ordered us to go back here,” referring to their return to Canada, “and he said that I was in danger and stuff.” Furthermore, she stated that she suspected Hope’s motives for returning were motivated by money alone, claiming that “he never saw me for so long […] it’s obvious he just came back because he wants money.”
This situation is still developing, the future of Lil Tay’s career-and personal life-remains unclear.