Rapper and influencer Lil Tay, aged 16, in intensive care hospital with 'heart tumour' a year after death hoax

On Wednesday (September 11), a post was uploaded on to her X account which said there was “devastating news regarding Tay”, followed by another post which read “please pray for Tay” who is “dealing with a life threatening emergency”. It’s unclear who was behind the posts.

Then, late on Thursday morning (September 12), another cryptic message was posted to the account which said “Tay is currently in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) in serious condition” alongside an image of a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit sign in a hospital hallway.

Later the same day, a follow-up post said the teen rapper has “a life threatening heart tumour”. The unknown author added: “We ask kindly for everyone’s love and prayers.” The post was accompanied by a short video which appears to show an untrasound in the hospital which supports this.

A representative for Lil Tay told MailOnline that “this isn't a hoax” and is not related to last year's incident. In August 2023, the 16-year-old, was falsely reported to have died along with her brother Jason.

Many fans have left their messages of support for Tay on the post. One said: “Praying for Tay’s health and wellbeing.” Another said: “OMG? Hope she recovers soon sending our prayers to Lil Tay. Please take care.” A third added: “Sending prayers and love to Tay and her family.”

Given what has happened previously, however, some people are unconvinced by Tay’s apparent health issue. One said: “If true this really really sad and i hope she gets better . . . but if i see that this was all a stunt thats f***ed up.” One also questioned whether or not the video was legitimate. “Where’s the proof? This is probably another setup,” they said.

The teenager, who was born Claire Hope but has since confirmed her legal name is Tay Tian, was originally thought to be dead for just over 24 hours between August 9 and 10, but later announced that her Instagram account had been “hacked”.

In a statement provided to American news outlet TMZ from Tay's family, the then 15-year-old said: "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 traumatising 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 also insisted that her Instagram account “was compromised by a third party” and “used to spread jarring misinformation and rumours” about her. The influencer also confirmed at the time that she had regained access to her account after the hoax. It is currently unclear, however, who is in control of her social media pages at the moment.

Throughout the whole situation, there were many questions on social media from fans. Lil Tay’s account hadn’t been used, up until the death hoax, since 2018 and it also emerged that police had no official record of her supposed death, or that of her brother at the time. Many people then questioned why it had taken her so long to confirm she was actually alive, while others speculated that the whole hoax was a bid for publicity.

After the death announcement was posted on Lil Tay's Instagram, the influencer gained more than 200,000 new followers. Her account currently has 5.2 million followers but there are no posts on her page, apart from the video of the “heart tumour” which was also posted to X. Her X account, meanwhile, has 190,000 followers.

The original fake post read: “The statement said: "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. Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her."

Lil Tay first shot to fame on Instagram when she was just nine-years-old. She became known for rapping, using foul language and also showing off stacks of cash and boasting about her wealth. She was called the "world's youngest flexer" and gained 3.5 million followers on Instagram, despite only uploading 16 posts. She had not been active on social media since 2018, however, with TMZ reporting in 2020 that her parents were engaged in a custody battle.