Lil Tay‘s ex-manager isn’t buying the hacking death hoax, telling RadarOnline.com that he has a sneaking suspicion that her brother might be to blame.
As this outlet reported, the internet lit up with the news that the 14-year-old rapper and her brother had died after a lengthy statement was posted on her verified Instagram and allegedly signed by her family.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” the post read. “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,” it continued. “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.”
However, law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles and Vancouver, British Columbia — where she was said to have lived — confirmed there were no active death investigations regarding Lil Tay or her brother. When RadarOnline.com contacted the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office, a spokesperson told us that no one by her name was in the system — sparking serious doubt about her reported death.
On Thursday, Lil Tay released a statement, alleging that her Instagram had been hacked.
“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,” she told TMZ.
But not everyone is buying what Lil Tay’s selling, including her former manager, Harry Tsang, who made it clear that he finds “relief in the fact that she is safe.”
His statement to RadarOnline.com continued: “However, I believe the reported hacking incident may not have occurred. 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.”
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That’s when he expressed a hunch that her brother was behind the elaborate hoax and suggested it was to get Lil Tay’s name back in the headlines.
“Secondly, the actions of Liltay’s brother, renowned for his propensity for extreme measures, lead me to hypothesize an alternative motive behind this occurrence,” Tsang added.
He also said he wouldn’t doubt that the ultimate goal was “rooted in an endeavor to illicitly extract funds from devoted supporters and unwitting bystanders.”
Lil Tay’s ex-manager stated that if his intuition was right, it was irresponsible of the brother and sister team.
“Simultaneously, if the underlying motive is indeed to rekindle Liltay’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 concluded.
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Lil Tay for comment.