On Instagram, a message announces the “sudden and tragic” death of Lil Tay, a 15-year-old Canadian influencer who rose to prominence in 2018 by posting videos on Instagram where she impersonated a rapper exposing her wealth.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the devastating news of the sudden and tragic passing of our beloved Claire,” read a sober post on Lil Tay’s Instagram page, followed by 3.4 million of people. In the same breath, her loved ones write that the teenager’s brother has also passed away, adding “an even more unimaginable depth” to their grief. They asked to respect their privacy, adding that the circumstances surrounding the two deaths are “under investigation”.
Lil Tay, real name Claire Hope, rose to prominence in 2018 when she was just nine years old. On Instagram, we saw her, wads of dollars in hand, presenting a luxury apartment or climbing aboard a luxury car. “I’m only 9 years old, I don’t have a license, but I still drive this sports car, bitch,” she said, mimicking the hip-hop tone and gesture. She had teamed up with popular rappers at the time, including Chief Keef and XXXTentacion, and even starred in a three-episode documentary series called Life With Lil Tay.
According to US media, Lil Tay has been at the center of a complex court battle between his parents. His mother, a Vancouver real estate agent named Angela Tian, reportedly lost her job after using company homes and employee cars in the videos. In June 2018, Lil Tay allegedly wrote “help me” in a now-deleted Instagram post. His Instagram page – which his older brother Jason would have controlled – had therefore ceased to be fed.
The teenager’s death was confirmed to Variety magazine by her “management”, but questioned by Insider magazine, her former manager, Harry Tsang, called for “caution”, recalling the “complexity of the situation”. Neither Los Angeles nor Vancouver police (where the teenager grew up) have opened an investigation into the death of a Claire Hope, but it is not known where the teenager lives today. Her father, Christopher Hope, declined to comment on the situation.
