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Rapper Lil Tay, who was reported dead Wednesday, is very much not.
In a statement from her family released Thursday to TMZ, the 14-year-old social media personality said her Instagram account was “compromised by a 3rd party” on Wednesday and was used to “spread jarring misinformation” about her “sudden and tragic passing,” as well as the death of her 21-year-old brother, reportedly named Jason Tian.
“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. It’s been a very traumatizing 24 hours,” the statement said.
The rapper, whose statement said her real name is Tay Tian, added that she was bombarded Wednesday with phone calls from loved ones “all while trying to sort out this mess.”
Her death was reported Wednesday on social media by an unnamed family member. However, no details were made available and her father, Christopher Hope, and the star’s former manager, Harry Tsang, said they could not confirm the teen’s death, according to Insider.
The false statement has since been removed from her Instagram account. The rapper did not immediately respond Thursday to The Times’ request for comment.
Tian went viral for her foulmouthed videos, rising to popularity in 2018 for her Instagram photos and posts where she flaunted designer clothes and luxury cars. In a March 2018 video, she claimed that the tub and toilet in her bathroom each “cost more than your rent.”
That same year, the social media star gained the attention of fellow YouTube personalities Jake Paul and Danielle “Bhad Bhabie” Bregoli. Her videos also caught the eye of rapper Snoop Dogg. But it seemed he was not a fan, calling out Lil Tay’s act in 2018.
“She need to be in school learning how to be a little girl not a dumb a— grown person,” he captioned a video of the internet star.
Lil Tay, who moved with her family to Los Angeles from Canada, told “Good Morning America’s” Juju Chang in a 2018 interview that “no one’s forcing me to do this” and that her mother — Angela Tian — was not exploiting her.
She continued: “This is my decision. I’m happy with what I’m doing.”
Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.
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