Lil Tay is alive.
The 14-year-old social media influencer said she is still among the living on her Instagram account on Aug. 10, a day after it was announced she died.
“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,” Tay said in a statement provided to TMZ. “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.
“My Instagram account was compromised by a third 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.’ ”
Tay’s inaccurate death report spread across multiple media outlets on Aug. 9. Among those who publicly mourned the loss was peer and fellow social media influencer Woah Vicky.
Lil Tay rose to fame posing as the “World’s Youngest Flexer” at the age of 9. She would flaunt stacks of money and the luxury lifestyle she said she earned through working hard. She used explicit language to combat any adult doubters or critics of hers. She hasn’t posted on the account since 2018.
YOU CANT KILL A REAL ONE😤
LIL TAY THE YOUNGEST FLEXER IS ALIVE AND WELL 🙏🏽💯 pic.twitter.com/tJQ1gBxU1o
— veazy (@veazydoezit) August 10, 2023
TMZ also reported Tay’s parents, Angela Tian and Christopher Hope, have been in a public custody battle since 2018, around the time Tay stopped posting online.
