Lil Tay is confirmed alive, blames Instagram hacking for death announcement: What we know

Questions started swirling last week around rapper and social media personality Lil Tay after a since-deleted post to her verified Instagram account on Aug. 9 claimed she was dead.

More than a week later, her mom's lawyers confirmed to USA TODAY that the teen Canadian influencer is alive.

Lawyers for her mother, Angela Tian, provided an update on the family's ongoing child support battle in a statement to USA TODAY Friday. The Vancouver-based law firm MacLean Law "successfully obtained orders for our client that have enabled her daughter to advance her career," according to family lawyers Lorne MacLean, K.C., and Fraser MacLean.

USA TODAY has reached out to a lawyer representing Lil Tay's father, Christopher Hope, for a statement.

On Aug. 10, Lil Tay's family reportedly told TMZ in a statement that she was alive, alleging that her Instagram account was compromised. USA TODAY has reached out to Meta to confirm the hacking.

Here's what we know about the situation and why details were unclear.

Was Lil Tay's death falsely announced on social media?

A statement alleging Lil Tay’s death was posted to her Instagram account on Aug. 9.

"It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire's sudden and tragic passing," the since-deleted statement read. "We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock."

The Instagram statement also alleged the influencer's brother had died but did not name him. A date and cause of death for Lil Tay were not shared in the post.

On Aug. 10, TMZ reported they obtained a statement from "Tay's family" that read: "I want to make it clear that my brother and I are safe and alive, but I’m completely heartbroken, and struggling to even find the right words to say. It’s been a very traumatizing 24 hours. All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess."

The statement continued, "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.'"

Meta has not responded to USA TODAY's requests for more information on the alleged hacking.

Who is Tay Tian?

Referred to as Tay Tian by her mother and lawyers, Lil Tay's legal initials appear as C.E.Q.H. in court documents from 2021 that were reviewed by USA TODAY. A New York Magazine interview with her from 2019 identifies Lil Tay's full name as Claire Eileen Qi Hope and lists her birthdate as July 29, 2007.

Court documents confirm that she was born in 2007.

Lil Tay is alive, living with her mom after custody, child support battle in Canada

Why was Lil Tay's father unable to confirm her death?

Lil Tay's father, Christopher Hope, has not been able to provide clarity on the controversy.

Hope told Insider in a statement published Aug. 9 that he could not comment on the Instagram post and declined to confirm or deny his daughter's death.

Who is Lil Tay?

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 went on to amass more than 3 million followers on Instagram.

"People think it's funny, I guess, because 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, who chose to only be identified as Angie, 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. Before her death announcement, the most recent post on her account was mourning the death of another young star, rapper XXXTentacion.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lil Tay is not dead, claims hacked Instagram spread 'misinformation'