LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Internet sensation Lil Tay has died at the age of 14, according to a statement released on her social media profile. Born as Claire Hope, Tay rose to fame in 2018 by creating provocative yet widely-shared videos, marked by explicit language and displays of high-end fashion and extravagant cars.
The official announcement, published on Tay's Instagram account, confirmed the tragic death of the teenager. "It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire's sudden and tragic passing," the statement read.
What are the controversies surrounding Lil Tay?
Tay gained significant attention and notoriety for her controversial behavior and content. Her online persona was built around flaunting extreme wealth, luxury items and extravagant lifestyles. She was often seen showcasing high-end cars, designer clothing and lavish homes, which led to accusations of promoting materialism and superficial values, especially given her young age.
In a 2018 video posted to her Instagram, Tay, who was nine at the time, was seen getting in the driver’s seat of a red Mercedes-Benz. "This is why all y’all f****g haters hate me b****h," Tay said in the video, adding, "This s**t cost me 200,000. I’m only nine years old. I ain’t got no license, but I still drive this sports car b***h. Your favorite rapper ain’t doing it like Lil Tay."
Tay was in a video with another social media personality, Jake Paul, where she made fun of him for not having as many houses as she claimed to have. She also shockingly claimed to have sold "bricks" of cocaine when she was as young as six. This worried many people online, who wondered where her parents were.
There were also suspicions and allegations that Tay's mother and older brother were involved in orchestrating her online persona. Many questioned the role her family played in creating and promoting her controversial image and content, raising ethical concerns about the exploitation of a young child for online fame.
In a 2018 blog post, child and teen development specialist and Kid Conversation Expert, Dr Robyn Silverman said, "I think this is a story of a young child who is being used and fed a script to garner attention and gain money. She is the puppet and the adults in her life are pulling the strings."
"While others might say she is making her own choices, she is 9 years old—and while she is fully equipped to make some choices in her life- pursuing music over gymnastics or art—who she wants to be friends with- what she wants to wear, when the stakes are so high, the persona is so public and the footprint so big—we need some strong adult influence here—if it’s positive, then great things can happen but if it’s negative or not in the best interests of the child, it certainly can do more harm than good," Dr Silverman added.
How did Lil Tay rise to fame?
Tay was noticed in early 2018 for a pretend fight with YouTuber RiceGum. He made a video making fun of her, saying she bullied his sister. This got her a few thousand new followers. However, her big moment came in April.
There was a video online of two girls, Bhad Bhabie and Woah Vicky, fighting in a mall. Tay was there too, watching. She only appeared on screen for a short time, saying a quiet "what's up," calling Bregoli a "b***h" and weakly asking if she wanted to fight.
Before this, Tay had about 250,000 followers on Instagram. After the video, she had over 1.2 million followers in just a week. Once she got famous, Tay caused a lot of buzz.
She called herself the "youngest flexer of the century." She claimed she was Black, grew up poor in Atlanta and became a star in Los Angeles. She liked to flaunt money, cars, a super expensive phone, five houses and even drugs. In one video, she pretended a breadstick was a cigarette and yelled about smoking. She also used the N-word a lot, per the Daily Beast.
People quickly saw Tay as an example of cultural appropriation. Despite the backlash, more and more people started following her.
Tay died in August, 2023. The circumstances or cause of death have not been revealed yet but an investigation into her death is ongoing. "This outcome was entirely unexpected and has left us all in shock. Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her," her family's statement read.
