Lil Tay’s family says she’s alive, claims account was hacked: Report
A statement alleging that rapper and influencer Lil Tay had died was deleted on Thursday from her verified Instagram account, fueling questions about the validity of the original announcement about her death.
TMZ also reported on Thursday afternoon that the teen's family provided a statement from Lil Tay to the outlet where she claimed that her Instagram account "was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me."
ABC News has not independently confirmed this report. Meta, the parent company of Instagram, declined to comment on whether a hack was reported by the account's owner.
Attempts to reach Lil Tay, her mother, Angela Tian, and her brother, Jason Tian, were unsuccessful.
According to the TMZ report, Lil Tay said, "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."
Questions about the validity of the Instagram post were fueled on Wednesday after the teen's father, Chris Hope, declined to comment when asked by ABC News on Wednesday about reports that his daughter and her brother had died.
The teen rapper was 9 years old when she gained national attention for her controversial videos, which flaunted an extravagant lifestyle.
The post on Wednesday referred to Lil Tay as "Claire."
"It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire's sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain," the statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday read. "This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock."
The statement also alleged that Lil Tay's brother, Jason Tian, had died and that their deaths are under investigation. The post did not state where and when they died, but Lil Tay is a native of Canada who moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to pursue opportunities in the entertainment industry.
"Her brother's passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief," the statement on Wednesday continued. "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. Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an indescribable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her."
Lil Tay's last Instagram post before the deleted statement was on June 18, 2018, showing what appeared to be a screenshot of Lil Tay Facetiming with the late rapper XXXTentacion, whose real name is Jahseh Onfroy. The post is a tribute to the rapper, who was shot and killed, in Broward County, Florida on June 18, 2018. He was 20 years old.
"X you truly changed me," the post says. "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, 3 hours ago you announced the Charity event we were going to throw, we had everything setup, I can't believe this, the evil in the world, This isn't good Bye I Love you Bro."
The expletives in Lil Tay's social media videos and her imitations of so-called gangster rappers -- in one of which she pretends to use drugs and in another, she uses the n-word -- prompted controversy and questions about the potential exploitation of children on social media.
In a 2018 Nightline interview, Lil Tay, who was 9 years old at the time, opened up about her social media stardom and being the internet's self-proclaimed "youngest flexer."
Her mother and her brother defended Lil Tay's videos in the interview with Nightline.
"A lot of people are gonna say this and that. We just keep going," Jason, who was 16 at the time of the 2018 interview, told Nightline.
Angela Tian told Nightline that she is a "proud mom" and "a great parent."
"My daughter has accomplished so much by herself," she said, adding that her daughter will be a "superstar."
Lil Tay insisted at the time, "No one's forcing me to do this," and said that she runs her own Instagram account.
ABC News' Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
