Rapper and influencer Lil Tay, aged 16, has 'open heart surgery' in hospital - a year after death hoax

On Thursday morning (September 12), a cryptic message was posted to the teen star’s X 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”. It is not know who was posting to the account, but they 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.

Now, a follow-up post has stated that Tay has undergone a heart operation. The post, uploaded on Saturday afternoon (September 14) read: “We are overjoyed to share that Tay’s open-heart surgery was a great success! We are deeply thankful to her surgeon, cardiologist and the team who are the best in the world!

“Thank you for the love, prayers, and positive energy you have all sent her way. Thank you for your continued support. We are off to a great start on the road to recovery.” Alongside the post was a video which shows Tay in a hospital bed. The young social media star is sleeping next to a teddy bear while the heart monitor she is attached to beeps.

It comes a year after Tay was subject to a death hoax. In August 2023, the 16-year-old, was falsely reported to have died along with her brother Jason. Given what has happened previously, however, some people were unconvinced by Tay’s apparent health issue. Some people have now back-tracked on their scepticism. One said: “Wait I thought yall were joking - its real omg. Glad she’s okay.” Another said: “I’m just glad I got some proof. Wishing you the best Lil Tay. God got you.”

Some people do, however, remain unconvinced. One person stated: “This doesn’t prove anything.” Another person claimed they thought the video was “staged”. Many people also left their well-wishes, however. One fan wrote: “Thank goodness! Wishing her a speedy recovery.” Another penned: “Wishing her a speedy recovery! we love you Tay.”

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 the only two posts on the page are the video of the “heart tumour” and also the video of her in hospital which were 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.