On August 9, a statement reportedly shared by the family of rapper Lil Tay announced that she had died at age 14. The statement also revealed that her older brother, Jason Tian, had died at 21, though didn’t clarify exactly when his death had occurred.
Lil Tay (real name Claire Hope) was just 9 when she gained internet fame after flaunting her controversial lifestyle on social media. She’d often brag about her wealth while posing in expensive cars with wads of cash in her hands, and was known for her use of vulgar language.
Many internet users speculated that the person coaching Claire was her brother Jason, who had reportedly attempted to pursue a rap career of his own before she shot to fame.
The mom of the siblings, Angela Tian, alleged to BuzzFeed that Jason was the driving force behind Claire’s controversial content, as did a spokesperson for their family, Diomi Cordero. However, this was never verified, and Jason declined to comment.
Shortly after the footage of Claire being “coached” went viral, her Instagram account was wiped clean — something that was apparently an intentional move made by Diomi in order to rebrand her public image. “I am rebranding Lil Tay... stay tuned,” Diomi told BuzzFeed.
While Claire’s old posts later reappeared on her page, nothing new had been shared to her account since June 2018.
This week, a statement was shared to Claire’s page announcing her death.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” the post began.
“We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain,” the statement continued. “This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock.”
The statement went on to address Jason’s death. “Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief,” it 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,” it continued.
The statement concluded, “Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.”
In the hours since the statement was shared to Claire’s page, both her father, Christopher Hope, and former manager, Harry Tsang, told Insider that they couldn’t confirm nor deny whether the young rapper had died.
