Lil Tay is alive: 14-year-old influencer confirms she is 'safe' after false Instagram statement goes viral

Rapper and influencer Claire Eileen Qi Hope, also known as Lil Tay, has confirmed that she is not dead after a statement went up on her Instagram account stating that she is no more.

The 14-year-old influencer said in an interview to a media outlet that she and her brother are 'safe and alive' adding that her Instagram account had been hacked.

She also said that it had been an traumatising 24 hours during which her family received several emotional phone calls from relatives and friends.

On August 9, a statement was put out on Lil Tay's Instagram account announcing her "tragic passing".

The statement read: "It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain.”

“This outcome was entirely unexpected and has left us all in shock. Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief. 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,” it added.

• Controversial social media star Lil Tay, brother dies at age 14