Every Red Flag That Pointed To Lil Tay's Death Being A Hoax

Viral sensation Lil Tay's fans went into mourning after the rapper had reportedly died at the age of 14, per Variety. Fans were devastated to hear about her passing, but many questioned if it was a hoax not long after the news broke.

On August 9, a statement was posted to Lil Tay's Instagram announcing she had died. "It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire's sudden and tragic passing," the statement read. "We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock." The statement also revealed that not only had Tay passed away, but her brother, Jason Tian, had also tragically died not long before the news of Tay's death broke. They revealed Tay and Tian's deaths were "under investigation." (The post mistakenly referred to Tay as Claire Hope. Her real full name is Tay Tian.)

After the news was announced, social media flooded with tributes to the young star. However, others weren't so sure that Tay had actually died. The internet star has been known to be controversial, so many didn't put it past her to do something so extreme. Well, they were right... sort of. Just a day after her reported death was announced, Tay confirmed to TMZ that she's still alive. The situation was confusing from the start and many saw red flags that pointed to this being a hoax all along.

Plenty of theories came from news of Tay "Lil Tay" Tian's death, including one that she had a burner account. It's not unusual for a celebrity or internet star to create a burner account where they can post more freely, but Tian's supposed burner account was a bit concerning. Reacting reported that many fans believed Tian's burner account was under the username "termanii." The account, which has since been deleted, had only one post of a photo of Tian and a concerning caption. It said, "To Be Clear I Am Not Dead. I Don't Have Access Anymore to The Lil Tay Instagram Account...Our Parents Took Everything and They Abused Tay, Hard."

Since this was posted on the supposed burner account, many other accounts have popped up, so it was hard for fans to tell what was real and what was not. But it's no secret that Tian has had a complex history with her parents. In 2021, Tay's brother, Jason Tian, created a GoFundMe page alleging the viral sensation was abused by her father, Christopher Hope. In addition, Tay's mother, Angelia Tian, and her brother Jason have been said to have exploited the internet star, per the Daily Mail. With Tian's family history, it didn't seem like a stretch for many to believe this could all be a hoax.

Tay "Lil Tay" Tian's social media accounts raised many questions amidst the news of her passing. First, her Twitter account was still active, and it didn't take long for fans to notice that she had a suspicious YouTube bio. While many YouTube stars' bios are custom and give a brief description of what fans can expect, Tian's was somewhat more concerning. The 14-year-old's bio read, "Help me." However, Page Six reported that it was unclear as to when this bio was last updated as it could have been years ago or just days ago. No one truly knew.

But this isn't the first time the social media influencer has shared this "help me" message. In 2018, Tay suddenly disappeared from the limelight at the height of her fame. The social media star then shared an Instagram Story with the words, "Help me," per Insider. Fans were terrified for Tay, as no one knew what was going on. However, in 2019, Tay told the Daily Beast she had disappeared from the internet because she was at the center of a custody battle between her mom, Angela Tian, and her father, Christopher Hope. Although she addressed her disappearance, Tay never spoke about the "help me" message. Now it seems like a case of deja vu as the rapper's YouTube bio read the same message just days after she reportedly died.

Everything following the news about Tay "Lil Tay" Tian's death had been a bit unusual. But one of the strangest parts — the one with the most credibility that this was a hoax — is the fact that Tian's father, Christopher Hope, refused to comment on his daughter's reported death. According to Variety, the statement shared on Tian's Instagram account was supposedly written by family, but it seems like not every family member was included in that.

It's no secret that Hope and Tian have had a complex history. He has been accused of abusing the internet star, and she has claimed that he just wanted custody of her for her money. But with news of her passing, you would think he would come forward to say something about his daughter, right? Well, he refused to do so. According to Insider, it reached out to Hope to get some clarity on the situation, but it ultimately caused more confusion. Insider reported that "he could not comment on the Instagram post and declined to answer whether his daughter was still alive." It all seemed a bit suspicious, considering many in the spotlight would be willing to at least confirm or deny whether their loved one had passed. Of course, this didn't sit well with fans as they continued to believe that Tian could be doing this for clout.

It feels like everyone in Tay "Lil Tay" Tian's circle tried to ghost the media after her reported death was announced. Not only did Tian's father, Christopher Hope, refuse to comment, but her former manager, Harry Tsang, did the same. It's unclear when Tsang began working with Tian, but in April 2018, he posted the influencer for the first time on his Instagram. In the video shared, Tian pied her manager as he rode by on a scooter. The two had seemingly become close and because of this many looked to him for answers when it came to her reported death — but things only became more confusing.

Tsang told Insider, "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." Essentially, the social media influencer's ex-manager refused to confirm of deny that Tian died. He continued, "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." So, if Tsang is insinuating he didn't think the post about Tian's death was reliable, what does that mean? To many following the situation, it was a clear indication that this was a hoax. 

Well, their suspicions were right, as all these signs pointed to what was later confirmed to be a prank.