Child social media star Lil Tay is 'safe and alive' after Instagram post announcing death

Child social media star Lil Tay has said she is "safe and alive" after her Instagram account, which posted that she and her brother had died, was "compromised".

A "family statement" had been posted on the Instagram page of Lil Tay, whose full name is Tay Tian, on Wednesday that had claimed that her real name is Claire Hope and she had died.

The post had 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."

"Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her."

Social media was in mourning following the announcement, and her name soon began trending on X, formerly Twitter.

But now in a bizarre twist, Lil Tay has told US outlet TMZ she and her brother are actually safe and very much alive.

"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," she told TMZ.

"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 added: "My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong. My legal name is Tay Tian, not 'Claire Hope'."

Lil Tay shot to fame in 2018, then aged nine, for her controversial viral videos.

She was originally from Canada but moved to Los Angeles, and is believed to now be around 14 years old.

The social media star was famed for posting clips of herself posing with super cars and carrying huge wads of cash, while telling her 3.3 million Instagram followers that they were 'broke'.

Fans became concerned about Lil Tay's welfare when she stopped posting on social media around three years ago.

Tune into the ITV News entertainment podcast, Unscripted...