Lil Tay turned heads earlier this month when she launched her OnlyFans account as soon as she turned 18 — and allegedly earned $1 million within hours.
“$1M in 3 hours 🤩We broke the f*** out of that onlyfans record 🥰🥰🥰,” she wrote via Instagram on Sunday, August 3. “Come see content I took of myself at 12:01AM on my 18th BDAY😳ONLY AVAILABLE FOR 24hrs.”
Lil Tay attached a screenshot of her “earnings” page, which showed a total of more than $1 million with over $500,000 coming from subscriptions and more than $400,000 attributed to messages.
Her decision to create a profile on the sexually explicit website caused controversy among some due to her age and her prior career as a child influencer and musician.
Lil Tay claimed the Instagram post announcing her death was the result of a hack, but her former manager Harry Tsang thinks there’s more to the story. “I think she’s still alive, and I think it was fake,” Tsang told Us Weekly on Thursday, August 10. “I don’t believe anything that they say about the […]
Scroll down to learn more about Lil Tay:
She Got Her Start on Social Media
The influencer gained popularity when she was 9 years old after her Instagram videos began going viral. She also posted YouTube videos where she posted controversial clips of her rapping, yelling expletives and saying racial slurs.
Lil Tay continued her rise to fame in 2018 when she became a rapper. She has collaborated with stars like Jake Paul and Diplo.
She Was Involved in a Death Hoax
Following a five-year social media hiatus, Lil Tay was back in the headlines in August 2023 after a statement posted on her Instagram claimed she and her brother, Jason, had died.
“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. This outcome was entirely unexpected and has left us all in shock.”
Lil Tay confirmed the following day that she and her brother were alive and well, telling TMZ that her Instagram account “was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors.”
“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 the outlet. “It’s been a very traumatizing 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 also clarified, “My legal name is Tay Tian, not ‘Claire Hope.’”
She Underwent Open-Heart Surgery
Lil Tay shocked fans once again in September 2024 when she underwent open heart surgery to remove a tumor.
“We are overjoyed to share that Tay’s open-heart surgery was a great success!” her family shared in a statement via her social media at the time. “We are deeply thankful to her surgeon, cardiologist and the team who are the best in the world. Thank you for the love, prayers, and positive energy you have all sent her way. Thank you for your continued support. We ask kindly for everyone’s love and prayers.”
Lily Tay shared photos after the surgery via X, revealing that after two weeks in the hospital she was on the mend. “Heart tumor removed. I’m back. I love you all so much, and this time nothing will stop me from achieving my dreams. 🩷,” she wrote in September 2024.
She Revived Her Career in 2023
Lil Tay Courtesy of Lil Tay/Instagram
Lil Tay announced her comeback in October 2023, releasing “Sucker 4 Green.” She praised her mom, Angela Tian, via Instagram at the time, claiming that after a lengthy legal battle with her estranged father, they came out on top.
“5 years in court and WE won. My mom spent her lifesavings fighting for my life against my abusive, misogynistic and racist father,” she alleged via Instagram. “Now I’M BACK. I’m the #1 HOTTEST 🔥 INDEPENDENT artist. Out-trending every major label artist with Million dollar budgets. THIS WOULDNT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT MY MOM AND BROTHER❤️.”
She Calls Joining OnlyFans a Sex-Positive Decision
Lil Tay revealed in August that she chose to launch her OnlyFans page to “move women forward” and support females “expressing themselves.”
“I just turned 18 and honestly, my biggest reason for wanting to drop the link has been Sabrina Carpenter and Sydney Sweeney. They are literally my top inspirations,” she said in an Instagram video shared days before her 18th birthday. “They’re the ones that are bringing women forward into 3025. That’s why I’m going to take a stand. I’m going to be the youngest one to stand behind [them].”
Lil Tay also called out the “haters” who were upset with Carpenter and Sweeney, both of whom recently sparked controversy among fans.
Carpenter raised eyebrows in June when she released the album cover for Man’s Best Friend, showing the singer posing on all fours as a man pulled her hair. Some social media users claimed the image glorified domestic violence. She later released an alternate version of the cover that she quipped was “approved by God.”
Sweeney, meanwhile, found herself facing backlash when sheposed for an American Eagle ad in July that used the slogan, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” Some social media users believed the ad oversexualized the actress and promoted eugenics, taking women back in the body positivity movement. Sweeney hasn’t publicly commented on the backlash, but American Eagle released a statement saying, “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story.”
