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Lil Tay, the controversial internet personality who went viral in 2018 at 9, is now assumed to be around 14 years old. She has been missing in action on social media for over four years now. However, netizens are sharing a video of a girl who appears older and whom they believe to be an adult Lil Tay.
The claim, however, was quickly debunked after user @JayCartere posted a screenshot of the girl's TikTok profile on Twitter.
As per the screenshot, the girl, thought to be a grown-up version of Lil Tay, goes by the name Jannine Thahswee on TikTok. Another concrete proof to debunk the claim is Tay's age. Back in 2018, she claimed to be nine years old. So, in 2023, she should be 14.
Jannine Thahswee seemingly looks much older than a 14-year-old. She has over 8k followers on TikTok. In 2020, Jannine shared a video where she narrated how she and her boyfriend met and how their relationship developed over two years.
According to the video, Jannine was in 10th grade two years ago, i.e., in 2018, clearing all doubts that this TikToker is not Lil Tay.
Lil Tay's abrupt disappearance from social media made netizens wonder about her current whereabouts
Lil Tay rose to prominence in 2018 after posting controversial videos online in which she boasted about her wealth and frequently used expletives, leaving viewers worried about the nine-year-old's crude attitude.
However, that did not seem to bother Tay or her family, as in an interview with Good Morning America, Tay's mother said she supports whatever her daughter wishes to do. Tay's mother stated that she would allow her to pursue her passion. Jason, the nine-year-old's older brother, also appeared unconcerned about the impact of negative social media fame on his sister.
One consistent part of Tay's videos was a wad of cash, which she used to flex alongside expensive sports cars and branded accessories. Tay spoke in a proud tone and claimed she was only nine and making millions by working hard.
She even released a song called Money Way that featured slurs. Her name was immortalized after rap god Eminem mentioned it in his diss track against Machine Gun Kelly called Killshot.
However. there were other concerns raised about Tay's well-being and parenting methods after a video surfaced revealing that her brother, Jason, was telling her what to say in front of the camera. Jason seemed to be behind all of Tay's content.
Tay's father said in an interview that when his daughter's social media appearance started going viral, he disagreed with most of Tay's activities. He even sought legal counsel to keep his daughter from accessing online content. Her father felt these were harming her physical and mental health and ruining her future.
However, the father of the 9-year-old was also accused of being abusive. Jason claimed that their father left the family and only returned to profit from Tay's internet fame and the money earned from it.
There were also rumors that Tay was caught in a custody battle between her parents and went to live with her father in Canada for some time, where her father and stepmother were abusive towards her.
Lil Tay was unheard of for a long time until 2021 when a cryptic and vague message appeared on her Instagram story that said:
"We have bad news about Tay..."
The internet was worried about the young girl's safety. Many even thought she might be dead. However, none of these assumptions were confirmed. Recently, when a video of Tay's lookalike, TikToker Jannine Thahswee, gained attention, it sparked rumors that she was the teenage Lil Tay who had made a social media comeback.
Jannine Thahswee posted a video on May 5, 2020, in which she addressed a comment from a user who asked:
"Is this lil tay?"
In response, Jannine made a video, which later gained traction, and wrote in the caption:
"Reply to @sky6668 who lol I don’t see it"
However, not many people on Twitter agreed with the claim and pointed out that Jannine is not Lil Tay.
The assumptions were proved wrong as soon as they rose. As of 2023, there is still no news on Lil Tay.
