Harry Tsang, Lil Tay’s former manager, has accused her of lying about hacking into her Instagram account just hours after she confirmed she was alive.
The 14-year-old, along with her older brother Jason Tian, was presumed dead after a statement was shared on her verified social media account on Wednesday, August 9.
However, 24 hours later, the teen rapper spoke out, claiming her account was “compromised by a third party” and revealing that she and her sibling are both “safe and alive.”
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Tsang expressed doubts about the likelihood of Lil Tay’s statement being completely truthful.
“When I heard of Liltay’s claim about her well-being, I find relief in the fact that she is safe. However, I believe the reported hacking incident did not happen (sic),’ Tsang said.
Bold claim: Lil Tay’s former manager accused her of lying about hacking into her Instagram account
Speaking: Harry Tsang believes the ‘reported hacking incident may not have happened’
Older sibling: Tsang claimed that Lil Tay’s brother Jason Tian (pictured) is “known for his penchant 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 passed away, referring to her by her birth name, Claire Hope
“My rationale for this perspective is twofold: First, recovering a compromised account on platforms like Meta/Instagram usually doesn’t require a 24-hour window.
“Second, the actions of Liltay’s brother, known for his propensity for extreme measures, led me to hypothesize an alternate motive behind this event.”
He went on to claim, “It is conceivable that the intent behind these events could be rooted in an attempt to illegally extract funds from devoted supporters and unwitting bystanders.
At the same time, if the underlying motive is indeed to revive Liltay’s notoriety in the public sphere, I argue that such actions demonstrate a degree of irresponsibility.
“It is essential to consider the potential consequences of using such tactics, especially given their potential impact on the perceptions and feelings of the wider public,” Tsang added.
After the obituary was posted to Lil Tay’s Instagram — which had been inactive since June 2018 — the influencer gained more than 200,000 new followers.
Tsang’s claims come after the teen confirmed she is not dead, in a statement to TMZ on Thursday afternoon.
“I want to make it clear that my brother and I are safe and alive, but I’m heartbroken and struggling to even find the right words to say,” Lil Tay — born Claire Hope but has now confirmed her legal name is Tay Tian – told the publication.
“It has been a very traumatizing 24 hours. All day yesterday I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful calls from loved ones as I tried to sort this mess out.”
In the spotlight: Tsang appeared in a social media video with Lil Tay several years ago
Pied: In the comic clip, the child star smashed a pie in Tsang’s face as he drove past her on a scooter
Her truth: In a statement released Thursday, the teen claimed her Instagram account had been “compromised”
His words: Tsang suggested there could be “an underlying motive for reviving Lil Tay’s fame”
Back then: Lil Tay during a 2018 appearance on Good Morning America alongside her mother Angela
The teen – who made headlines in 2018 amid claims she had been abused by her father Christopher Hope and exploited by her brother – failed to reveal why it took more than 24 hours to confirm she was alive.
Speaking about the post that sparked the death rumors, Tay insisted her Instagram account had been “compromised by a third party” and was “spreading shocking misinformation and rumors about her.”
The young star also confirmed that she can now access her account again.
She further revealed that she no longer goes by her birth name Claire Hope, which was the nickname used in the now-deleted fake death notice, explaining that she now goes by the legal name Tay Tian, having seemingly changed her estranged father’s name had dropped. Angela’s surname in favor of her mother.
Shortly after Lil Tay’s statement was released, social media erupted with speculation about the legitimacy of her claims, with many users questioning why it had taken so long to address the false death rumors – while others speculated that the whole hoax was a desperate attempt at publicity.
So are Lil Tay and her brother dead or alive? Because the way that statement was worded and then the way it took 24 hours to denounce is still very weird,” one person wrote.
“Let’s hypothetically assume that Lil Tay’s Instagram has been hacked… what would be the motive for saying the brother is also dead? Like this whole thing confusing,” said another.
A third wrote, “I suspected Lil Tay was alive and this was a wild publicity stunt.”