Lil Tay’s former manager is not buying the young rapper’s claims that her social media was hacked.
After a post on her verified Instagram account claimed she and her brother, Jason Tian, had died, Lil Tay resurfaced and shut down the allegations.
Nonetheless, Harry Tsang is still hesitant to believe anything.
“I think she’s still alive, and I think it was fake,” he told The Post Thursday.
However, since the hoax, he has not attempted to reach out to Tay nor does not intend to.
“I don’t believe anything that they say about the hacking,” he further commented. “I’m glad that she’s OK.”
The former manager, 32, also clarified why he refused to confirm or deny his client’s passing, despite the announcement popping up on her social media.
“The reason why I have that statement was because after I spoke to Duane Laventure [Lil Tay’s former social media manager] and Chris Hope [Lil Tay’s father], they cannot even confirm if she really passed away or not. That’s why I said that,” he told The Post.
Just hours before, Tay shared a statement with TMZ where she clarified that she was still very much 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,” the 14-year-old told the outlet Thursday.
“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.”
She went on, “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.’”
However, Tsang couldn’t verify her name as he met her as Claire Hope.
The latest development in Tay’s story comes just 24 hours after an Instagram post on her official Instagram account announced her “unexpected” death — as well as her older brother’s.
“We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribably pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock,” the statement read.
“Her bother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief. 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.”
The statement concluded, “Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.”
At the time, Tay hadn’t been active on Instagram since June 2018, when she was in the middle of a custody battle involving her parents, Angela Tian and Chris Hope. Additionally, the statement was not signed by a specific person, which led to many questions.
Following the news, her father refused to confirm or deny her death when contacted by The Post.
“Yeah, you have the right person, but I don’t have any comment right now,” the Canadian attorney said during the brief call.
“I’m not able to give you any comment right now. I’m sorry — I can’t.”
Tsang had also raised suspicion when he said the situation called for “cautious consideration” and “accuracy.”
“I encourage everyone to rely on reputable and official sources for information. We must exercise patience while awaiting further developments before drawing any conclusions,” he further said.
Police departments in Vancouver, Canada and Los Angeles, where her dad and mom lived respectively, could not confirm their deaths either.
