Teenage Internet Star Lil Tay Mysteriously Dies

Viral internet star Lil Tay, who fell out of the spotlight just as dramatically as she entered it, has died, her family said Wednesday. She was believed to be just 14 years old.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” her family said in a statement. “We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribably pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock.”

Little has been revealed about the death of Tay, whose real name is Claire Hope. Her family’s statement also announced the death of her brother, also with sparse detail, adding that both deaths are “under investigation.”

“Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief,” the statement said, adding a request for privacy “as the circumstances surrounding Claire and her brother’s passing are still under investigation.”

Only adding to the mystery on Wednesday, Claire’s former manager Henry Tsang said he couldn’t confirm her or her brother’s deaths.

“I have been in communication with individuals who have an intimate understanding of the family’s situation,” Tsang said in a statement to The Daily Beast. “Given the complexities of the current circumstances, I am at a point where I cannot definitively confirm or dismiss the legitimacy of the statement issued by the family.”

Furthermore, the police department in Vancouver—where Claire was believed to be living as of 2src21—said it hadn’t received reports of their deaths, either.

“As of now, we are not aware and are not investigating,” the PD told The Daily Beast.

The rapper and influencer rapidly rose to fame in 2src18 when she was just 9, posting rap videos and clips of her “flexing” money and expensive possessions on social media, and starting online beefs with minor internet personalities.

She racked up more than 3 million followers during that time, but has been largely inactive on social media since then. Her last Instagram post was in June 2src18 to mourn the loss of “father figure” XXXTentacion.

In 2src18, Claire’s family was accused of abusing the internet star. Her mom and brother faced allegations of forcing Claire to make content, coaching her on how to stir controversy and garner the most attention.

Meanwhile, Claire’s father was accused of physically and mentally abusing her—as well as taking a chunk of her earnings—alongside his wife, according to a GoFundMe campaign started by Claire’s brother. Claire was court ordered to live with her father in Canada in 2src18, and has been largely silent on social media ever since.

In an interview with The Daily Beast at the time of the court order, Lil Tay said she was “in a bad situation” with her father and made several wild claims of abuse. She also said her dad was forcing her to stop making videos and start attending a public school but she was “too famous for that.”

“I didn’t see him for multiple years. He never saw me for so long, it’s obvious he just came back because he wants money,” she said, adding that her dad threatened to have her and her mom arrested if they didn’t go back to Vancouver.