celebrities clarified – Lil Tay and Josh Seiter are among the celebrities who had to step in after being pronounced dead online—each saying their social accounts were used to spread alarming misinformation.
Lil Tay’s name was supposed to be found in music feeds, not obituary headlines.
In August 2023. the Instagram account associated with the rapper shared a statement claiming that Lil Tay and her brother had passed away. Within the fallout, Us Weekly received a response from the email address listed in Lil Tay’s Instagram bio. The message, written in a tone of finality, said, “With profound regret, we confirm the accuracy of the statement.”.
But one day later. Lil Tay herself issued a follow-up statement—trying to undo the damage and steady the people who were calling. worrying. and grieving. “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. 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 said.
She also pointed to how the misinformation took off. Her statement continued, “My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong.”
Later that month, Josh Seiter faced a similar jolt from the internet. The Bachelorette alum made headlines after his Instagram account posted a statement claiming that he died. Seiter then turned to social media shortly after the alleged death story broke, confirming he was still alive.
What ties the cases together isn’t just the shock—it’s how quickly a single post can push a life into rumor, forcing someone to scramble back into their own story.
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