Whatever Happened To Lil Tay?
Thanks to social media, there are several familiar faces that we can recall from viral videos. One of those viral stars is none other than Lil Tay. Lil Tay, born Claire Eileen Qi Hope, became an internet sensation at the age of 9 years old. She is notable for flexing huge wads of cash, luxurious cars, and using extreme profanity and racial slurs on her Instagram. The viral sensation's content is so odd, that it instantly made her a star. She also found friendships in celebs such as Tekashi 6ix9ine, Jake Paul, and the late XXXTENTACION.
Lil Tay may have bragged about being "the youngest flexer of the century" in the past, making people question whether she owns any of what she shows off. In 2018, it was revealed that she and her mother, Angela Tian, were allegedly using the latter's boss' car in several of the videos. Unfortunately, the discovery reportedly cost Tian her real estate job, per VICE. Due to supposed clout chasing and family woes, Lil Tay hasn't been active on social media. Read on to find out what's really going on with the child star.
The real reason Lil Tay is inactive on social media
Lil Tay may be the sarcastic, potty-mouthed internet sensation you love to hate. Sadly, Lil Tay's personal life isn't much of what we expect. In 2018, a video leaked of her brother, Jason Tian, telling her what to say off-camera. The video sparked the "Free Lil Tay" movement on social media. Their mother Angela told BuzzFeed, "He is the one, only one [who] did an excellent job for her, he guided her, did everything for her without anybody else involved." Lil Tay refutes the claims of her brother's influence, telling Good Morning America, "It's all me."
In July 2018, Lil Tay deleted everything from her Instagram and posted a cryptic message on her story. The now-deleted post read, "Help me," per Insider. Since then, she makes rare appearances on Instagram. Most prominently, she wrote a tribute to her "father figure" XXXTENTACION. The influencer's page would have no further activity until October 2018. An unidentified person who claims to be in her entourage shared a now-deleted video of her, claiming she is being abused by her father, Christopher Hope. Hope was also accused of "destroying [Lil Tay's] life" for financial gain, after gaining custody of the star.
Hope denied the claims, telling HollywoodLife in 2018, "When my daughter's social media began to go viral this year, I disagreed with most of the social media activity. I took legal steps to stop things which I felt were dangerous to her physical and mental health and to her future."
Lil Tay's family disputes continue on her Instagram account
The concerns of Lil Tay's well-being arose once more in April 2021. Nearly three years after her XXXTENTACION tribute, new posts are appearing on her Instagram page. Jason Tian allegedly began posting on his sister's page, announcing that he is raising $150,000 on GoFundMe for their mother to regain full custody of Lil Tay. As of this writing, $14,000 has been raised.
"Tay is in desperate need of funds to support her fight against her abusive father, as a result of this situation she has been in a state of depression," The GoFundMe excerpt reads. "ALL FUNDS raised through this GoFundMe will go towards Tay's legal fees to give her the fighting chance in court to save her from a life of abuse.. Towards her future, and freedom."
The page also shares a video of Lil Tay crying alongside a caption claiming that her father Christopher Hope and his wife Hanee have been "physically and mentally" abusive to her. Additionally, photos of the seemingly bruised Internet star were uploaded to the page. Despite the outpouring of love and support for Lil Tay, some people aren't convinced that the child abuse claims against her father are true. Given Tian's previous exposé, fans believe it's a scam. Either way, fans hope Lil Tay is safe during this difficult time.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.