What happened to Kailia Posey? Tributes pour in as 'Toddlers & Tiaras' star known for her viral GIF dies aged 16 

'Toddlers and Tiaras' star Kailia Posey passed away at the age of 16 (Image via @kailiaposey/Instagram)

Toddlers & Tiaras star Kailia Posey, known for her viral GIF of "The Grinning Girl," has reportedly passed away. She was just 16 years old at the time of her passing.

The news of Posey's untimely demise was announced by her mother Marcy Posey Gatterman on Facebook. She wrote:

“I don’t have words or any thoughts. A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss of Kailia. My baby forever.”

Although no cause of Posey's death has been revealed so far, there are multiple unverified reports of the TV star being involved in a car accident in Las Vegas.

The tragic news comes days after Gatterman posted photos of her daughter attending a prom event.

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Looking back at Kailia Posey's life

Kailia Posey was a contortionist, gymnast and reality TV star, best remembered for her appearance on the TLC reality series, Toddlers & Tiaras. She was born on April 19, 2006, in Las Vegas and grew up with two elder brothers, Kai and Nick.

Posey was reportedly less than five years old when she appeared on the TLC series alongside her mother. The show documented the lives of families training their children to compete in beauty pageants.

Speaking about her daughter's talent and passion, Posey's mother revealed that she started taking part in pageants from the mere age of three:

"When Kailia was younger, when she was 3, she started doing pageants. She's a pro when she hits that stage, she'll say she's nervous but once she hits that stage she's a pro. She's gonna beat you, every time."

Posey's mother also trained her to be a contortionist during the show and the former ended up having significant interest in the performance art as she grew up.

In addition to her career as a gymnast and TV star, Posey also went viral for her iconic GIF known as "The Grinning Girl" captured from the TLC show.

Following her stint at Toddlers and Tiaras, Posey continued her pageant career and won several competitions. She even won the title of Miss Spotlight West Coast in a national pageant competition in 2015.

Posey announced in January that she was preparing to compete for the title of Miss Washington Teen USA the following month.

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Twitter mourns the loss of Kailia Posey

Kailia Posey was a reality TV star and contortionist (Image via Kailia/Instagram)

Kailia Posey is well-known across the globe for her appearance in Toddlers and Tiaras, her viral GIF, and her abilities as a skilled dancer and gymnast.

Needless to say, the news of her sudden and tragic demise has left fans in shock. Several people took to Twitter to mourn the loss of Posey and offered their heartfelt tributes to the star:

As reactions continue to pour in online, it is certain that Posey will be missed by her family, friends, fans, colleagues and well-wishers. Her memories will always be cherished.