EXCLUSIVE: Lil Tay’s former manager believes SHE masterminded fake death announcement as a PUBLICITY STUNT – accusing her of lying about being hacked to ‘rekindle’ her fame after five-year absence
- Lil Tay, 14, has claimed her Instagram was ‘compromised’ after a statement stating that she had died was posted on Wednesday
- Her ex-manager Harry Tsang claims ‘hacking incident may not have occurred’
- Tsang suggested that Lil Tay could have perpetrated the stunt to gain followers
- READ MORE: Rapper Lil Tay confirms she is not dead
Lil Tay’s former manager Harry Tsang has accused her of lying about her Instagram account being hacked and alleged that she herself orchestrated a fake statement about her death, just hours after she confirmed she is actually alive.
The 14-year-old, along with her older brother Jason Tian, were believed to be dead after a statement was shared on her verified social media account on Wednesday, August 9.
Over 24 hours after the post was shared, the teenage rapper finally spoke out to confirm that she is alive and well, while claiming that her account had been ‘compromised by a third party’ and revealed that she and her sibling are both ‘safe and alive’.
However, speaking to DailyMail.com, her former manager Tsang – who was the last known public mouthpiece for Tay and her family when she was at the height of her fame in 2018 – has cast doubts over the likelihood of the teenager’s statement being entirely truthful.
‘Upon learning about Lil Tay’s assertion of her well-being, I find relief in the fact that she is safe. However, I believe the reported hacking incident may not have occurred,’ Tsang said in a written statement.
Bold claim: Lil Tay’s former manager has accused her of lying about her Instagram account being hacked
Speaking out: Harry Tsang believes the ‘reported hacking incident may not have occurred’
Older sibling: Tsang claimed that Lil Tay’s brother Jason Tian (pictured) is ‘renowned for his propensity for extreme measures’
Shocking statement: A post shared on the teen’s Instagram account stated that she and her 21-year-old brother had both died, referring to her by her birth name, Claire Hope
He went on to raise two points of doubt over the validity of Lil Tay’s explanation, the first of which centers around the speed at which she claims her Instagram account was restored to her after the so-called hacking.
‘My rationale for this perspective is twofold: firstly, the restoration of a compromised account on platforms like Meta/Instagram typically does not necessitate a 24-hour timeframe,’ he explained.
Tsang then drew attention to Lil Tay’s brother Jason – who was accused of exploiting his younger sibling back in 2018, when video emerged of him appearing to ‘coach’ her on what to say in front of the camera.
‘Secondly, the actions of Lil Tay’s brother, renowned for his propensity for extreme measures, lead me to hypothesize an alternative motive behind this occurrence,’ Tay’s former manager continued.
‘Simultaneously, if the underlying motive is indeed to rekindle Lil Tay’s prominence within the public sphere, I contend that such actions demonstrate a certain degree of irresponsibility.
‘It’s essential to consider the potential repercussions of employing such tactics, particularly given their potential impact on the perceptions and sentiments of the broader audience,’ Tsang added.
After the death announcement was posted on Lil Tay’s Instagram – which had until then be inactive since June 2018 – the influencer gained more than 200,000 new followers.
Tsang’s claims come after the teenager confirmed that she is not dead in a statement given to TMZ on Thursday afternoon.
‘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,’ Lil Tay – who was born Claire Hope but has now confirmed her legal name is Tay Tian – told the publication.
‘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.’
In the limelight: Tsang appeared in a social media video alongside Lil Tay several years ago
Pied: In the comical clip, the child star slammed a pie into Tsang’s face as he rode past her on a scooter
Her truth: In a statement released on Thursday, the teenager claimed her Instagram account had been ‘compromised’
His words: Tsang suggested there could be ‘an underlying motive to rekindle Lil Tay’s prominence’
Back then: Lil Tay during a 2018 appearance on Good Morning America alongside her mother Angela
The teenager – who hit the headlines back in 2018 amid claims she had been abused by her father Christopher Hope and exploited by her brother – neglected to reveal why she took more than 24 hours to confirm she is alive and well.
Speaking about the post that sparked the death rumors, Tay insisted that her Instagram account ‘was compromised by a third party’ and ‘used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors’ about her.
The young star also confirmed that she now had access to her account again.
She went on to reveal that she no longer goes by her birth name, Claire Hope, which was the moniker used in the now-deleted phony death announcement, explaining that she now goes by the legal name Tay Tian, having seemingly dropped her estranged father’s surname in favor of her mother, Angela’s.
Soon after Lil Tay’s statement was released, social media erupted with speculation over the legitimacy of her claims, with many users questioning why it had taken her so long to address the phony death rumors – while others speculated that the whole hoax was a desperate bid for publicity.
‘So is Lil Tay & her brother dead or alive? Because the way that statement was worded and then the way it took a whole 24 hours to denounce is still very weird,’ one person wrote.
‘Let’s say hypothetically Lil Tay’s Instagram was hacked… what would be the motive for saying the brother is dead too?? Like this whole thing confusing,’ another stated.
A third wrote: ‘My guess was that Lil Tay was alive and this was some wild publicity stunt.’
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