Viral teen influencer and rapper Lil Tay has died at 15.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock,” a statement posted to her Instagram on Wednesday read.
The date and cause of death for the young star, real name Claire Eileen Qi Hope, has not yet been revealed. Lil Tay’s management confirmed her death with “profound regret.”
The Instagram statement also revealed the influencer’s brother has died. “Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief,” the statement read.
“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,” the post concluded.
Lil Tay went viral in 2018 with several videos of her flashing wads of cash while seated in fancy cars and doing house tours. She self-labeled as the “youngest flexer,” and had more than 3 million followers on Instagram at the time of her death.
“People think it’s funny, I guess, cause I’m 9 years old and I’ve accomplished so much,” she said on “Good Morning America” in May 2018. “I’m the youngest flexer. I can do anything I like. If they don’t believe me, I don’t care.”
She also slammed critics who claimed she was being exploited by her family. “No one is forcing me to do this,” she said. “This is my decision. I am happy with what I am doing.”
Lil Tay’s mom Angie, who chose to only be identified by her first name, told “GMA” that despite her daughter’s profanity on social media platforms, she is “well-mannered and a great kid, well-behaved.”
The young influencer had gone silent on her Instagram feed in recent years, with the most recent photos on her account from June 2018. Aside from the announcement of her death, the most recent post on her account was mourning the death of another young star, rapper XXXTentacion.
“X you truly changed me,” Lil Tay wrote in the caption. “you were there for me when everyone wanted me to fail, you were there to give me advice, you were there. As a father figure, when I don’t have one, you were here, FaceTiming me and calling me for hours when I’m down, 3 hours ago you announced the Charity event we were going to throw, we had everything setup, I can’t believe this, the evil in the world, This isn’t good ByeI Love you Bro.”
