Lil Tay, teen rapper and internet sensation, was thought to have died at the age of 14.
Her family announced the shocking news via Instagram on Aug. 9, 2023, but did not disclose any details about how she and her older brother, Jason, passed away.
Fans were astonished to hear about the teen’s death, as she hadn’t posted anything on social media since 2018 — around the time she was court-ordered to live with her father, who she claimed was abusive and controlling.
However, it was revealed one day later that Tay’s Instagram page was compromised and she and her brother were actually still alive.
Find out more about the social media star and the mysterious circumstances that led people to believe she had died.
Who is Lil Tay?
Before Tay — born Tay Tian — became a well-known figure, she was just a young girl who loved to dance.
She took ballet classes from the young age of 4 and participated in Royal Ballet Academy competitions, according to the Cut.
Tay also studied Chinese, singing and piano and took skating, swimming and art lessons.
How did Lil Tay become famous?
Tay rose to fame at the age of nine from doing skits on Instagram where she would talk trash and throw stacks of cash while showing off her luxurious life.
In one of her Instagram videos from March 2018, the then-9-year-old sent a message to her “broke ass haters” while holding a fan of 100 dollar bills and sitting in a red sports car.
“This s–t cost me $200,000,” she said in the clip as she got into the exotic car. “I’m only 9 years old. I ain’t got no license but I still drive this sports car, bitch.
“Your favorite rapper ain’t even doing it like Lil Tay.”
In her final Instagram post before the fake death announcement was posted, Tay mourned the death of rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot and killed in June 2018.
“X you truly changed me ❤️,” she captioned the post of a screenshot of her on FaceTime with the “Hope” emcee. “you were there for me when everyone wanted me to fail, you were there to give me advice, you were there.”
Tay also referred to XXXTentacion as a “father figure” who would FaceTime and call her “for hours when I’m down.”
“I can’t believe this, the evil in the world, This isn’t good Bye I Love you Bro ❤️
