Reading Time: 3 minutes
Lil Tay had open heart surgery and a lengthy recovery, all before turning 18.
That is a far reach from the viral death hoax that targeted her just a couple of years ago.
The singer, social media star, and self-reported OnlyFans success is alive and well.
However, the brand-new adult is revealing the shocking and unexpected major surgery that she underwent.
It’s been just over two years since the ‘malicious’ death hoax
In August of 2023, Lil Tay was already an internet sensation with millions of followers.
At that time, her Instagram account stunned those fans with a declaration that she and her brother, Jason, had died.
There were no legal or medical records of any such deaths. No one in her family seemed to have any public comment.
Fortunately, the news was untrue. And, unlike so many public figure death hoaxes, Lil Tay herself was not the culprit.
Lil Tay showcasing her guitar skills with a rendition of Lana Del Rey’s “Florida Kilos.” pic.twitter.com/sG828zUP1h
— Lil Tay Access (@LilTayAccess) October 15, 2023
Speaking to People in a new interview, Lil Tay recalled: “I woke up to my phone being blasted with calls and texts. My mom was being spammed. Everybody was worried. I was like, ‘What the hell’s going on?’”
She expressed: “It was really surreal and weird, and also there was a lot of people posting tributes to me, which is weird in itself.”
Lil Tay said that there was “malicious intent” behind the hoax, and assigned blame to her estranged father.
He denies the accusation.
Lil Tay is revealing that she underwent open-heart surgery
One year ago, in September of 2024, the singer and (now) OnlyFans star again vanished from the public eye. This time, she explains, it was not a hoax.
Lil Tay shared that she underwent open-heart surgery. Doctors apparently stopped her heart for 70 minutes during the procedure.
“I was getting irregular heartbeats, heart palpitations for a while,” she explained.
“But it really wasn’t that long of a time period that I knew about this.”
“And I definitely did not know that I was going to need heart surgery to remove a f–king tumor,” Lil Tay expressed.
Fortunately, she shared, she is doing much better now.
“I bounced back way quicker because I’m young, active, and healthy,” Lil Tay explained.
“But it was hard because I couldn’t dance for a long time. But I’m still standing, I’m here.”
OnlyFans has changed her life
Just a month into her OnlyFans stardom, Lil Tay claims to have raked in millions. She has even used her purported wealth in her feud against Danielle “Bhad Bhabie” Bregoli.
Some have questioned whether or not the numbers that she’s reporting are accurate.
While we’re certainly not accusing the singer of anything, there have been instances of people announcing major subscription numbers to drive up interest. (It often works!)
We hope that Lil Tay continues to be a success. If you didn’t pick up on the subtext of the death hoax and who she’s blaming, there’s a lot of painful backstory. We wish her well.
