Internet star Lil Tay underwent heart surgery after her social media accounts claimed she had a “life-threatening” heart tumor – and they’re hitting out at rumors saying the ordeal is just a PR stunt.
17-year-old Lil Tay sent viewers into a frenzy after her social media accounts claimed to have “devastating news” about the social media star in September.
Subsequent updates claimed that the influencer had a “life-threatening” heart tumor, showing imagery from an ultrasound and photos from the inside of a hospital.
On September 14, her Instagram account shared a video of Tay in a hospital bed after supposedly undergoing open heart surgery.
Although they claimed the operation was a “success,” netizens remained skeptical about the news due to the infamous ‘death hoax’ that occurred back in 2023.
However, Tay’s accounts are hitting back at this narrative, as told in a tweet published on September 16.
“The accusations that Tay’s health crisis is for publicity are false and disgusting,” the post reads. “If publicity or money were our goal, she would not have gone MIA for over a year. Instead, she would have posted everyday to her millions of fans, and done PR runs like every other celebrity and dropped music every month.
“Tay’s health has always been our priority, not popularity or money. The false Death Hoax, started by her misogynistic father to ruin her reputation, is now being projected onto her. This is blatant victim blaming and rooted in misogyny. Tay deserves support, not harmful accusations.”
This news follows a previous statement posted on September 14, which also hit back at “misinformation” and distanced both Tay and her mother from her “misogynistic father, Christopher John Hope.”
In 2023, Tay’s social media accounts were hacked with claims that both she and her brother had died. These rumors were later proven to be false, and Tay claimed that her estranged father was behind the entire thing.
Shortly afterward, Tay debuted her new music career, leading some netizens to think the hoax was merely a publicity stunt to get herself back in the limelight.
Tay’s accounts continue to maintain that her father was responsible for the 2023 hacking and deny that her current health issues are in any way related to a supposed PR stunt.