Lil Tay’s death was announced this week, but the tragedy has become shrouded in mystery after her family have declined to comment and police have yet to investigate.
The “sudden” death of the 14-year-old (real name Claire Hope), who rose to viral fame in 2018 as a rapper and YouTuber, was made public in a statement to her Instagram page on Wednesday (August 9). It was revealed that her brother had also passed away.
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“It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” the post 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.
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“Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.”
However, questions have since been raised about the legitimacy of her death after various family members and associates have chosen to remain silent on the topic.
Her father, Christopher Hope, reportedly told Business Insider that he “could not comment on the Instagram post and declined to answer whether his daughter was still alive.”
He also told the New York Post: “Yeah, you have the right person, but I don’t have any comment right now. I’m not able to give you any comment right now. I’m sorry — I can’t.”
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Lil Tay’s former manager, Henry Tsang, also couldn’t confirm whether she and her brother had died.
“I have been in communication with individuals who have an intimate understanding of the family’s situation,” he told The Daily Beast. “Given the complexities of the current circumstances, I am at a point where I cannot definitively confirm or dismiss the legitimacy of the statement issued by the family.”
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Her social media manager, Duane Laventure, claimed he couldn’t comment on the situation either under instruction from Lil Tay’s mother. The rapper’s legal contact, Victor K. Sapphire, also declined to speak.
Lil Tay moved to Los Angeles with her family after becoming an online senstation in 2018, but the L.A. County Coroner’s office said they had no record of her or her brother, Jason Tian, in their system.
She was believed to be living in Vanvouver as of 2021, but the local police department said it hadn’t received reports of their deaths.
“As of now, we are not aware and are not investigating,” the Vancouver Police Department said.
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Lil Tay’s family was accused of abusing her in 2018, with her mother and brother facing allegations of forcing her to make content and coaching her on how to stir controversy for attention.
Her father was also accused of physically and mentally abusing her and taking a bunch of her earnings with his wife, according to a GoFundMe campaign started her brother.
Lil Tay was court ordered to live with her father in Canada in 2018.
