Lil Tay, the 14-year-old rapper who was reported dead on August 9, confirmed Thursday that she is “safe and alive”.
She shared with TMZ that her 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.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, the teen rapper also clarified that her real name is Tay Tian, not Claire Hope, as written in the post.
“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,” she explained.
The creator of the false Instagram post posed as a close family member reporting on Lil Tay and her older brother’s “sudden and tragic passing”.
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The statement has since been removed from her Instagram account.
At the time, both the star’s father and the former manager refused to confirm or disprove her death, according to Insider.
Lil Tay became an internet sensation in 2010 for her unique character bragging about money, cars, cursing at “haters” and starting drama with other famous influencers.
Time reports that Lil Tay’s most recent post was back in June 2018, dedicated to the death of rapper XXXTentacion.
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