A Timeline of Events Since Lil Tay’s Death Was Announced on Instagram and Sparked Confusion

When it was announced Wednesday on Lil Tay's Instagram page that the teenage social media influencer had died, fans and followers were left shocked. However, as the news settled in, many were left with questions and confusion over the validity of the announcement.

The timeline of events began on Wednesday morning and continued well into the evening.

The Messenger also confirmed with local police that an investigation is not actually happening. "We haven't gotten any reports of her death here. As of now, we are not aware and are not investigating," the Vancouver Police Department told The Messenger, with The Royal Canadian Mounted Police adding: "We have no investigations whatsoever."

During an interview with Good Morning America in 2018, a then 9-year-old Lil Tay denied that her family was exploiting her. She said, contrary to beliefs, her mother Angie, who sat next to Lil Tay during the interview, was not in charge of her social media. "This is my decision, I'm happy with what I'm doing," Lil Tay said.

Later that year, Chris denied allegations he abused Lil Tay after it was court-ordered that she live with him. Chris made it clear he didn't agree with Lil Tay's controversial videos, which often showed her cursing, flashing cash and pretending to do drugs. Angie was reportedly fired from her job at a real estate firm when it was alleged she played a part in creating Lil Tay's social media content. She was accused of using clients' properties as the backdrop for Lil Tay's video without permission.

When the news about where Lil Tay's content really came from became public, she went radio silent on social media. Her final post is from June 2018, as she paid tribute to late rapper XXXTentacion.

Around that time, she allegedly posted and deleted an Instagram Story that read "help me," according to various social media reports. It was alleged that she was living with her new manager, and her social media was scrubbed as an apparent rebranding strategy.

In 2021, her brother, Jason Tian, launched a GoFundMe campaign titled, "Save Tay from a Life of Abuse," claiming she "is in desperate need of funds to support her fight against her abusive father, as a result of this situation she has been in a state of depression." He alleged Chris stole from Lil Tay and included a photo of what appears to be a bruise on her cheek.

The Messenger attempted to contact Lil Tay's father at his office. A current attorney for Lil Tay had no comment.

Lil Tay's age is unclear. However, reports state that she was 14.