Yesterday, it was announced a 14-year-old social media star had died. It was all a hoax.

24 hours after news broke that Lil Tay and her brother had died, the teen rapper has come out and said they are both "safe and alive". 

In a statement to TMZ, the 14-year-old said she was "completely heartbroken and struggling to even find the right words to say," after the ordeal.

"It’s been a very traumatising 24 hours," Lil Tay told the publication.

"All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess."

Watch: Ask Mia Anything | Children On Social Media. Post continues after podcast. 

The internet personality claims she was the victim of a hacking scandal. 

"My Instagram account was compromised by a third party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumours regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong," she said.

Here's what we know.

A fake death post.

In a post on Lil Tay’s Instagram account on Wednesday, it was announced that the social media star had died, "leaving an irreplaceable void" that would be felt by all who knew and loved her.

It also strangely referred to the social media star by a different name.

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

"We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain."

It claimed that her death was "entirely unexpected" and had left her family in shock. It also said her brother, Jason Tian, had died as well. 

"Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief," the post said. 

"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.

"Claire will forever remain in our hearts."

A family battle.

In the statement to TMZ, Lil Tay, who grew up in Canada, confirmed that her legal name "is Tay Tian, not Claire Hope", and credited Meta for helping to get her Instagram account back. 

The death statement has since been deleted.

No information has been given about why it took so long to discredit the news, or why her father, Christopher Hope, told Insider that he couldn't confirm whether his daughter had died. 

Meanwhile, the influencer's former manager, Harry Tsang, told the publication that the situation called for “cautious consideration” and “respect for the sensitivities involved”.

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"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," he said.

Lil Tay was just nine years old when she became famous on Instagram for bragging about mansions, cars and bundles of cash.

However, she hasn't posted on social media since 2018 after a video was leaked of a voice behind the camera feeding her lines. It was believed to be her brother. 

A fight then broke out over her career between her manager, father and promoter, and Lil Tay’s mother and brother. 

After years of silence, several Instagram posts in 2021 accused her father of physical and emotional abuse and stealing her money. 

Mr Hope denied the allegations made against him.

Image: Instagram/Mamamia.