Lil Tay Courtesy of Lil Tay /Instagram
Lil Tay’s open-heart surgery to remove a “life-threatening” tumor was successful.
“We are overjoyed to share that Tay’s open-heart surgery was a great success! We are deeply thankful to her surgeon, cardiologist and the team who are the best in the world,” a Saturday, September 14, post on Lil Tay’s Instagram read. “Thank you for the love, prayers, and positive energy you have all sent her way. Thank you for your continued support.”
The message concluded, “We are off to a great start on the road to recovery.”
The upload also included a video of the musician, 17, sleeping in a hospital bed while hooked up to multiple IVs and monitors. A teddy bear sat at Lil Tay’s bedside.
Lil Tay confirmed her diagnosis one day earlier, noting via Instagram on Friday, September 13, that she had a “life-threatening heart tumor.”
“We ask kindly for everyone’s love and prayers,” a post read, alongside footage of Lil Tay’s ultrasound.
The teen rapper was previously the subject of a controversial death hoax. In August 2023, a social media statement claimed that Lil Tay and her brother, Jason Tian, had suddenly died.
Lil Tay and Tian later alleged that the announcement was a hoax made up by their estranged father.
“Tay’s absentee father, Christopher John Hope, hacked into her Instagram account and faked her death,” a note shared via the social media star’s Instagram read on Saturday. “[It was] a last attempt to ruin her reputation after losing the court battle over her career and custody.”
A secondary statement shared via Lil Tay’s official Instagram Story confirmed that “neither Tay nor her immediate family have anything to do with” Hope.
Hope, meanwhile, has denied his involvement in the death hoax.
“Somebody has a strategy that a good way to get publicity is to make accusations against me,” Hope told Rolling Stone in a November 2023 statement. “They’re all false.”
After resuming control of her Instagram, Lil Tay is ready to move forward.
“I finally have my freedom back,” she told Rolling Stone. “And I get to pursue what I want with it.”
Hope and ex Angela Tian fought over daughter Lil Tay’s career in a 2018 court battle. Hope was opposed to his daughter’s age-inappropriate content — several of her videos mentioned “broke-ass bitches” and “moving bricks” — while Angela and Lil Tay called him abusive. (Hope denied the allegations.)
A social media post shared by Lil Tay’s page in August 2023 claimed that Angela won custody over the former couple’s daughter.
