Lil Tay’s Dad Breaks Silence Of Allegations He Created The Instagram Death Hoax
By Kristin Myers on September 27, 2023 at 2:00 PM EDT
Christopher Hope, the father of Lil Tay, is breaking his silence on allegations that he created the viral death hoax announcing that the social media sensation and her older brother had died back in August.
Although he is vehemently denying the allegations, someone took to Lil Tay's Instagram Stories on Tuesday, insisting that he was "abusive," among other things.
Lil Tay's Father Slams 'False' Allegations That He Created Daughter's Instagram Death Hoax
On Tuesday, someone took to Lil Tay's account to claim that her father was the one who created her death hoax.
"My abusive racist misogynistic woman beating father faked my death," she wrote alongside a photograph of her father, Christopher J. Hope.
Over an hour later, it was followed up with a photo of a handful with long black nails holding a U.S. passport. However, no words accompanied the text.
Lil Tay's Father Denies The Allegations That He Created The Hoax
On Wednesday, August 9, a statement was posted to her Instagram page, announcing the death of her and her brother. "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,” someone wrote on Instagram. “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, insinuating that her older brother, 21-year-old Jason Tian, had also passed away. “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.”
About an hour after the allegations that he made the false death statement started making headlines, Christopher Hope told TMZ that he was not "responsible" for creating the viral death hoax. "The person who is responsible for that Instagram post, as well as anyone repeating the completely false and libelous accusation within it, are virtually certain to become defendants in a defamation lawsuit," he said.
"Everything stated is 100% false, and I trust that this should be obvious to anyone who knows me or the long history of absurd and untrue statements made by the various people who have controlled the Instagram account," he added.
Former Social Media Manager Speculates That Lil Tay Or Her Brother Is Behind The Death Hoax
Many fans have wondered why it took Lil Tay over a day to announce to the world that she was still alive. “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 the day after her "death" started making headlines.
“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.”
Lil Tay revealed that her name is not Claire Hope, as the post suggested, but Tay Tian, as she shared the last name of her mother and brother.
That being said, her former social media manager spoke to the Daily Mail shortly after the incident, claiming that either she or her brother was behind the viral death hoax. “Upon learning about Lil Tay’s assertion of her well-being, I find relief in the fact that she is safe. However, I believe the reported hacking incident may not have occurred,” he told the outlet.
“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 added, although Meta later confirmed that her account was hacked.
“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,” he continued.
“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 added. “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's brother, Jason, still has not broken his silence on the incident.
