Rapper Lil Tay’s death looks to have finally been confirmed by a heartbroken pal who paid tribute to the 14-year-old star.
Reports emerged last night (August 9) that the child star had passed away along with her brother Jason Tian, 21, but after their father refused to confirm rumours, it emerged that they might still be alive.
Her former manager also cast doubt on the ‘legitimacy’ of the social media post, which did not name a cause of death for the rapper, while cops in Vancouver and Los Angeles had no record of her passing, Daily Mail reports.
READ MORE: Is Lil Tay dead? ‘Help me’ message emerges after dad can’t confirm rapper’s death
But now, Lil Tay’s pal Dynasty Jenkins has shared a tribute to her ‘late’ pal, writing on Instagram: “I lost one of my closest friends.”
Real name Claire Hope, Lil Tay was pictured alongside Dynasty on a rooftop with their arms around each other.
Dyasty added the caption: “I can’t believe she’s gone,” with a row of broken heart emojis, sharing a video of the pair dancing together in various exotic locations.
Fans rushed to shower Dynasty with support, as one claimed: “You can see here [Lil Tay] is clearly not happy.”
“I’m so sorry, my heart is with you,” someone else said.
But Tay’s father Christopher Hope has declined to comment on his daughter’s death and “cannot confirm” whether the rumours are true or not until he has been able to verify them himself.
Claire herself admitted her relationship with her father was strained, claiming she “did not have” a father figure in her life.
Her brother Jason set up a GoFundMe account for Claire in a bid to raise $19,000 for the star after sharing allegations of physical and mental abuse against Christopher and his wife Hanee.
A series of posts also claimed Lil Tay’s dad filed a court motion that called his daughter back to Vancouver and prompted her sudden disappearance.
An initial statement released to the star’s social media account 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.”
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
It added: “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.”
The statement concluded: “Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.”
Follow Daily Star on Threads here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk