Lil Tay’s death hoax hack has been confirmed by Meta.
The tech giant confirmed on Saturday that the social media star was indeed the victim of a hacking attempt after a post on the influencer’s Instagram claimed she was dead.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has reportedly spoken to the 14-year-old, deeming that she was truthful about being locked out of her accounts, according to TMZ, and has since restored Tay’s access.
The Post reached out to Meta for confirmation.
On Wednesday, news that the teen — aka Tay Tian or Claire Hope — had passed away shocked the online community after a text image announcing the influencer’s death was posted on her Instagram.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” read the now-deleted statement, which went on to characterize her death as “unexpected.”
The Instagram post alleged that Tay’s brother had died, too. “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.”
“Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her,” concluded the post.
In the days following the debunked death announcement, several people, including Tay’s own father, failed to confirm the social media star’s death, declining to elaborate on the circumstances to multiple outlets, including The Post.
A day after the statement was published, Tay reappeared on social media — after a five-year hiatus — to say that she and her brother were very much alive.
“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,” reads a statement from Tay,
“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,’” the statement concludes.
The statement drew the ire of several fans who slammed the teen claiming the entire thing was a “publicity stunt.”
Harry Tsang, Tay’s former manager, had previously expressed doubt that she was dead but also found the hacking claim to be dubious.
“I think she’s still alive, and I think it was fake,” Tsang, 32, said of Tay’s death and reemergence. “I don’t believe anything that they say about the hacking,” he said, before adding that he was “glad that she’s ok.”
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