Lil Tay Teased out Big News for Her 18th Birthday, and We Just Want to Know if She's OK

Well before Lil Tay, whose real name is Claire Hope, became a legal adult, she had already dealt with a lot during her short time as an influencer. Lil Tay burst onto the social media scene at the age of 10, back in February 2018. People were charmed by a child rapping about haters, while throwing wads of cash around and sitting inside expensive cars. It was kind of funny, but also had that classic exploitative feel that accompanies all child influencers.

We soon learned that Lil Tay's brother ran her social media accounts and directed her videos. He was described as a stage brother. Things get even stickier after Lil Tay's social media accounts alleged that her father abused her. Somewhere in all of this, Lil Tay was on the receiving end of a death hoax and had very real open-heart surgery. Ahead of her 18th birthday, Lil Tay teased out big news that suggested she was joining OnlyFans. Did she actually do it? Here's what we know.

On July 22, 2025, one week from her 18th birthday, Lil Tay posted to Instagram about what she said "every man has been counting down" to. According to the teenager, these men have been telling her to "drop the link" for years now. "Girlies, should I do it," asks Lil Tay. She posted two more videos in as many days, asking if she should drop the mysterious link. Many people in the comments begged Lil Tay not to do it. Some hoped she was simply trolling.

Three days before her birthday, Lil Tay said in another video that she was dropping the link because she's broke. The young influencer went on to say the outfit she was wearing was the same fit she had on during a stream with fellow influencer Rakai, which the two recorded "months ago." This, Lil Tay claims, is why she hasn't been posting any content.

Nothing happened on Lil Tay's actual birthday, but two days after it, she posted a video demanding that other child influencers weigh in on the link-dropping threat. She specifically called out Piper Rockelle, Sophie Rain, Camilla, Breckie Hill, Jamal, and Alabama Barker, asking them to vote in the comments. The only one who responded was Breckie, who wrote, "I don't see why not."

As of August 2025, Lil Tay has an OnlyFans account whose bio says she is freshly 18, asks people not to tell her mom, and promises exclusive content that was shot at 12:01 a.m. on her 18th birthday. Apparently, it includes images of the rapper in her birthday suit.

Lil Tay posted a screenshot of the money she made three hours after the account went live. She made just over $1 million dollars and said in the caption that she broke an OnlyFans record. One person in the comments joked that this is $1 million worth of people who need their hard drives checked. Several fans echoed that sentiment, while most felt that this was a sad decision for the young girl. Regardless, we hope she's OK.