The Canadian internet rapper and social media sensation’s death is said to have come shortly after her brother’s
Lil Tay, the Canadian internet rap sensation whose legal name is Claire Hope, has died at 14. The news came via a statement made Wednesday morning on Tay’s Instagram page.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” Hope’s family wrote. “We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected and has left us all in shock. Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief.”
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Her late siblings’ identity is yet to be confirmed, but both Tay and her brother’s deaths are under investigation, according to the New York Post.
“During this time of immense sorrow, we kindly ask for privacy as we grieve this overwhelming loss, as the circumstances surrounding Claire and her brother’s passing are still under investigation. Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her,” the family added.
Tay initially rose to internet fame in 2018, when proclaiming herself the “youngest flexer of the century,” often being taped with flashy cars and stacks of cash. She even posed with the likes of Chicago rap sensation Chief Keef and XXXTentacion, whom she referred to as a “father figure.”
Shortly after, she addressed backlash over her use of the N-word, and issued an apology for those she “offended.” Later that year, she rose to the spotlight again in a three-part docuseries titled “Life With Lil Tay.”
Her life in the limelight was short-lived, however, as her Instagram was wiped clean in June 2018, only issuing a story saying “help me” before its demise. A few months later, in an alleged hack of the account, multiple abuse allegations against her father, Christopher Hope, were posted to the page.
Lil Tay’s manager at the time, Harry Tsang, rebuked the claims in a 2018 interview with the Daily Beast saying that they were fabricated and “Christopher Hope does not want any money from Lil Tay.”
