Lil Tay’s Ex-Manager Accuses Her Of Creating Fake Death Hoax

The drama surrounding Lil Tay continues to unfold a day after fans learned that the teenage social media star was not actually dead.

On Wednesday, a statement posted to her Instagram account announced that both she and her older brother, Jason, had passed away. No cause of death was listed. The following day, Lil Tay revealed that she was alive and well, but there are still many questions about how her account was compromised and why it took her so long to make a statement.

Although Lil Tay has not used her Instagram account since 2018, on Wednesday, a message appeared on her account announcing that both she and her brother had passed away. That Instagram message was deleted on Thursday after Lil Tay broke her silence and announced to the world that she was still alive.

“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,” read the statement. “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,” they 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.”

They concluded their statement, writing, “Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.”

It is unclear who wrote this statement, as Lil Tay revealed that her real name is Tay Tian, not Claire Hope. “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,” she told TMZ on Thursday afternoon.

“All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess,” she continued, explaining that her Instagram account had been compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong.”

On Thursday night, her former manager, Harry Tsang, felt that the young child star was not being entirely truthful in her statement. “Upon learning about Lil Tay's assertion of her well-being, I find relief in the fact that she is safe,” he wrote in a statement published by the Daily Mail. “However, I believe the reported hacking incident may not have occurred.”

“My rationale for this perspective is twofold: firstly, the restoration of a compromised account on platforms like Meta/Instagram typically does not necessitate a 24-hour timeframe,” he explained. “Secondly, the actions of Lil Tay's brother, renowned for his propensity for extreme measures, lead me to hypothesize an alternative motive behind this occurrence.”

Many have questioned where Lil Tay’s brother, Jason, was during the incident, and why he did not take to social media to announce that his sister had been hacked and the whole thing was a hoax. If anything, Tsang believes that Lil Tay is looking to break her social media hiatus with the hoax in order to generate headlines.

“Simultaneously, if the underlying motive is indeed to rekindle Lil Tay's prominence within the public sphere, I contend that such actions demonstrate a certain degree of irresponsibility,” Tsang wrote. “It's essential to consider the potential repercussions of employing such tactics, particularly given their potential impact on the perceptions and sentiments of the broader audience.”

Lil Tay has been silent on social media since 2018. In April 2021, her brother launched a GoFundMe which has raised over $17,000. He claimed that Tay’s father, Chris Hope, and his wife physically and mentally abused her.

In the public plea, he claimed, “Her absentee father (Chris Hope) served my mother a court order demanding control over Tay’s money, career, and custody, and as a result, it was court ordered that my sister had to return to Vancouver, Canada.”

“Chris Hope is fighting to permanently gain control of her career as well as custody over her,” he wrote, claiming that “he has stolen millions of dollars from my sister and has taken control of all her funds.”

Lil Tay has yet to comment on the GoFundMe or the abuse allegations.