Lil Tay found her way back into the spotlight in August after a five-year hiatus.
Her sudden return wasn’t commemorated with a song or video, but news of her death, which was later confirmed to be a ruse. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the teen addresses the incident, revealing she had planned her comeback for months, which involved some new music and zero death hoaxes.
Tay blames her father, Christopher Hope, for the incident, whom she alleges set her up to “sabotage” her. Tay and her mother, Angela Tian, also claim that Harry Tsang, an influencer who is rumored to be Tay’s ex-manager, was scheming with Hope. Tsang’s apparent angle was to use the hoax to promote a Lil Tay crypto coin.
Hope denied his involvement, telling the magazine, “Somebody has a strategy that a good way to get publicity is to make accusations against me. They’re all false.”
Tsang also denied having any connection to the death hoax, adding that it was Tay's half-brother Jason’s doing. “He is known to do something crazy,” Tsang told RS. “Ask anyone in the social media space.” Tsang said that he was backing the crypto as part of Tay’s return and was discussing the project with Tay’s team.
Jason issued a statement through Lil Tay’s PR, in which he blamed Tsang. “He went to every publication possible to allege I hacked Tay’s page to fake her death whilst also peddling the fraudulent Lil Tay crypto coin,” Jason shared.
When asked if Jason had anything to do with the death hoax, Tay dismissed the idea, saying, “There’s always going to be conspiracy theories. If you want to make conspiracy theories, I can’t stop you.”
But it appears Jason might be the one who’s pulling the strings in Tay’s career. Multiple sources tell Rolling Stone that Jason—who is six years older than Tay—is the one in charge.
“Jason was the one calling the shots,” Tsang tells the publication.
A leaked video from 2018 shows Jason seemingly coaching his sister off-camera. “Go back and say, ‘You broke-ass bitch, you still out here with your irrelevant ass,’” he says.
Additional anonymous insiders said Jason will do anything it takes for his sister to remain a public figure.
Both Tay and Tian refute the idea that Jason exploits her. She even described their relationship as a “collab.”
“I am the one that’s always wanted to become famous," she added. "I was the one who had a vision for myself as an artist, and I made it happen. And, of course, he helped me.”
