Lil Tay’s Mom Reveals Custody Battle in Wake of Death Hoax

Angela Tian, the mother of Lil Tay, has broken her silence after her daughter was involved in a death hoax. After a post was shared on Lil Tay’s page on Instagram claiming that she had passed away and her older brother Jason Tian had also died, Lil Tay took to her Instagram to assure her fans that she was “alive and safe.” According to her family’s Aug. 10 statement to TMZ, her account was hacked “to spread jarring misinformation and rumors,” mentioning that her legal name was Tay Tian, not Claire Hope, as stated in the obituary. The account has now been updated with a message from attorneys representing Tay’s mother who wish “to clarify media confusion” regarding the teen from Canada, including the custody dispute between her parents, EOnline reported. “Given privacy concerns related to the children, we provide a brief status update on the results in the British Columbia Supreme Court,” the statement read. “MacLean Law successfully obtained orders for our client that have enabled her daughter to advance her career.”

It has been confirmed that Angela now has primary custody of Lil Tay, along with the sole decision-making authority and responsibility in the best interest of her child, according to the law firm, which E! News independently verified represents the mother on an independent basis. In addition, Angela was stated to be “the person who is entitled to sign contracts.” Moreover, according to the attorney statement, Christopher Hope, the father of Lil Tay, has been ordered to pay monthly child support along with retroactive child support due from 2014, which amounts to roughly $275,000. Angela also spoke out about the mental toll the custody battle has taken on her after the death hoax.

“It has been years of blood, sweat and tears—this experience has put us in a constant state of severe depression, for myself and for both of my children,” she told E! News in a separate Aug. 18 statement. “Tay has had to talk to counselors for two hours weekly. We have dreaded every waking moment with no hope in sight for years.” Angela said there are “no words to describe the years of pain and oppression my daughter and I have suffered,” adding, “It breaks my heart that my children had to endure this pain for so long.” “Years have been lost—years that we will never get back and damages that will last a lifetime,” she continued. “I have been financially ruined fighting for my daughter’s rights and freedom which should have never been taken away to begin with.” Angela expressed gratitude to her attorneys and hope that she and her family could “move on from this nightmare.” “We have prevailed, justice has prevailed, and God has prevailed!” she said. “My daughter can pursue and achieve her dreams on her own terms, and we are finally a happy family again, together.”