Who Are Lil Tay's Parents? The Rapper's Death Hoax Draws Scrutiny

Who are the parents behind Lil Tay, the controversial teen rapper whose recent death hoax caused a wave of suspicion on social media? 

On August 9, Lil Tay's Instagram, which is widely believed to be controlled by her parents, posted a now-deleted update informing her 3.4 million followers that she'd recently died. The brief message announced that Lil Tay and her brother, Jason Tian, passed unexpectedly under unknown circumstances. Initially, users on social media paid tribute to the young star. However, a new revelation caused people to question the official story surrounding Lil Tay. 

According to Insider, Lil Tay's father failed to confirm whether or not the 14-year-old, aka Tay Tian, was really dead. An additional statement from her ex-manager, Harry Tsang, also shifted the public's reaction. "Given the complexities of the current circumstances, I am at a point where I cannot definitively confirm or dismiss the legitimacy of the statement issued by the family," he said. "This situation calls for cautious consideration and respect for the sensitivities involved. My commitment remains focused on delivering updates that are both reliable and appropriately timed." Social media then resorted to wondering whether Lil Tay had actually died and whether her parents were responsible for the lack of transparency. Let's talk about Lil Tay's parents and how they may have helped shape her career.

Lil Tay's public image wasn't the most controversial aspect of her career. Instead, many fans have questioned whether or not the teen star was working of her own accord or forced by her family to play up her divisive personality. As noted by BuzzFeed News, a 2018 video of Lil Tay lacking confidence as an unknown person fed her lines had some wondering if her personality had been manufactured. The video's caption listed the person as her brother, although many have speculated the voice could belong to her father, Chris Hope, who's been accused in the past of abusing the teen for financial gain.

According to the New York Post, Hope currently works at Lindsay LLP, a law firm based out of Vancouver, Canada. Hope failed again to confirm the death of his daughter during a phone call from the outlet. "Yeah, you have the right person, but I don't have any comment right now," Hope reportedly said. "I'm not able to give you any comment right now. I'm sorry — I can't." Previously, Harry Tsang defended Hope. "Christopher Hope does not want any money from Lil Tay," shared Tsang with the Daily Beast. "There are only three things he wants to see. First, no more crazy videos of cursing from Tay. Second, 25% of the gross earnings going to a trust fund dedicated to Tay. The third thing is, there has to be structure in her operation, in her public image."

Lil Tay's mother is a former real estate agent named Angela Tian, who resigned from her job after she allowed Lil Tay to film her social media content in front of her boss' car. While speaking to Global News, Tian's former boss, David Yang, claimed that Tian decided to leave their company, Pacific Evergreen Reality, after the viral videos made their way back to the office. "Apparently she is resigning from the company," Yang said in 2018. "She called and said I'm quitting from real estate at this point."

And although Tian hasn't faced nearly as much backlash as Lil Tay's father, Chris Hope, there's still been questions around her involvement in the rapper's fame and whether or not she contributed to creating an unhealthy environment for her. During an interview with "Good Morning America," Tian calmly addressed their many critics. "We choose to ignore them," Tian said. "She has passion. Passion and a dream."