Child rapper Lil Tay dies aged 14 as family say brother has also passed away

UPDATE: Lil Tay later confirmed that this news was untrue, and that her death was a hoax.

The performer, real-name Claire Hope, died suddenly, with her passing being "entirely unexpected", her family said.

Tay's family revealed in a statement that her brother, Jason Tian, who reportedly helped produce her videos, also recently died. He was 21.

The family have not said how the siblings died.

Tay, who lived in Vancouver, Cancer, with her family, rose to fame on social media where she bragged about her wealth and posed in expensive cars. She was just nine when she first appeared in videos calling herself the "youngest flexer of the century".

A family statement on Tay's official Instagram account said both deaths were now "under investigation", but authorities have disputed that.

"It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire's sudden and tragic passing," the statement reads.

"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."

Police in Canada and the US are not investigating the deaths, reports from Insider and The Sun claim.

They say they have "no record of her or her sibling's deaths'.

Tay's dad and her former manager have also not confirmed her passing.

When asked for information about how the teen passed away, Christopher Hope told The Sun: "I'm not going to issue any comment. I'm not going to answer that at the moment."

Similarly, former manager, Harry Tsang, told Insider: "Given the complexities of the current circumstances, I am at a point where I cannot definitively confirm or dismiss the legitimacy of the statement issued by the family.

"This situation calls for cautious consideration and respect for the sensitivities involved.

"My commitment remains focused on delivering updates that are both reliable and appropriately timed."

In an interview with Good Morning America on ABC News in 2018, Lil Tay denied claims she was influenced by her family to make the videos and said she enjoyed performing.

Her mum, Angela Tian, a Vancouver estate agent, reportedly once said that she never expected her daughter and son to get such wide attention.

Prior to the post announcing her death, there had not been a post on Tay's Instagram since 2018.

She had been at the centre of a custody battle between her parents, according to Variety.

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