The online frenzy surrounding the reported demise of influencer and rapper Lil Tay, only to later reveal it as a hoax followed by her claim of “account hacking,” has reverberated through social media platforms. Genuine concerns from Tay’s followers were met with astonishment as a sequence of events cast doubt on the authenticity of information circulating in the digital realm. Critics even labeled the entire Lil Tay affair as a “publicity stunt.” A representative from Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has affirmed to TMZ that Lil Tay’s Instagram account was indeed breached, and Meta assisted her in reclaiming control over it.
Earlier, Tay’s family addressed the situation in a statement conveyed to TMZ, clarifying that both she and her brother are safe and alive. Tay expressed her deep sorrow and the difficulty in finding appropriate words to convey her feelings. She recounted enduring a traumatic 24 hours, inundated with distressing calls from concerned loved ones while attempting to unravel the situation.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, confirms Lil Tay’s Instagram was hacked and that they helped her regain access to it following the fake death announcement. pic.twitter.com/P5JJ67I9VL
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 12, 2023
Tay clarified, “My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong. My legal name is Tay Tian, not ‘Claire Hope,'” as quoted by TMZ. Significantly, the false death announcement that had been posted via her Instagram was removed once Tay regained control of her account.
Remarkably, at the age of 14, Tay had ceased activity on her verified Instagram account back in 2018. Subsequently, she disclosed allegations of abuse from her father. Tay’s brother, Jason, initiated a GoFundMe campaign entitled “Save Tay from a Life of Abuse.” In this campaign, Jason accused Tay’s father and stepmother of subjecting her to various forms of mistreatment.
