Social media star Lil Tay was declared dead at 14 on Wednesday — but she’s reportedly still alive, according to a new statement from the social media star, obtained by TMZ on Thursday.
The influencer’s Instagram was reportedly hacked and used to spread rumors about her and her brother’s “death,” she explained in a statement on Thursday.
“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,” reads a statement from Tay, provided to TMZ by her family.
“My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd 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”,” the statement concludes.
The Post was not able to reach her father, Chris Hope, by phone for comment.
A now-deleted fake death announcement on Tay’s Instagram yesterday read: “It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,.” The post also said her brother died, adding “more unimaginable death to our grief.”
Lil Tay thanked Meta for helping get her account out of hackers’ hands, TMZ reported.
Yesterday, when contacted by The Post, a spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department said: “We haven’t gotten any reports of either death here,” referencing both Tay and her brother, who also allegedly died, according to the Instagram announcement.
“As of now, we are not aware and are not investigating.”
Her father also wouldn’t comment on the fake death yesterday.
“Yeah, you have the right person, but I don’t have any comment right now,” Hope told The Post in the brief, 2-minute call Wednesday.
Lil Tay, who has over 3.3 million Instagram followers, has become famous for her photos holding stacks of cash and her comments about money.
Story is developing.