‘I think it was fake’: Lil Tay’s former manager does not believe ‘hack’ caused death hoax
By Ryan General
Lil Tay’s former manager Harry Tsang has dismissed claims that the initial report of the teen and her brother’s deaths were the result of a “hack.”
The story so far: The death hoax controversy began on Aug. 9 after an Instagram post on the 14-year-old influencer’s verified account declared that she and her brother, Jason Tian, had died, sparking widespread speculation and concern. The next day, a spokesperson for the family later informed TMZ that the news of their demise was false and that Lil Tay’s social media had been “compromised” by an unidentified attacker.
“I think it was fake”: In an interview with the New York Post, Tsang, 32, expressed skepticism about the hacking claim: “I think she’s still alive, and I think it was fake.” While Tsang shared relief at her being alive, he admitted he had not contacted Lil Tay and did not plan to. “I don’t believe anything that they say about the hacking,” he was quoted saying. “I’m glad that she’s ok.”
Tsang explained that he earlier refused to confirm nor deny the legitimacy of the announcement about Lil Tay’s passing due to conversations he had with Duane Laventure, Lil Tay’s former social media manager, and Chris Hope, her father, who were also unable to confirm the situation. A spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department had also released a statement noting that they were not investigating the purported deaths as they hadn’t received “any reports of either death.”
Unstable coin: Skeptics have since pointed to a cryptocurrency coin named after Lil Tay that emerged shortly after the alleged death announcement. The coin, launched on the BNB Smart Chain, raised suspicions about its connection to the situation. Tsang, however, denied any involvement, clarifying that while he had worked on a Lil Tay cryptocurrency previously, the newly emerged coin was not his project.
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