Is Lil Tay saying goodbye to social media fame and hello to the classroom?
As we reported, the nine-year-old’s Instagram account returned this week after disappearing for months after a disturbing video of her smoking hookah surfaced on the platform.
Now, the once viral sensation’s father is stepping up and attempting to take control of his daughter’s life and career.
Video: What Ever Happened To Lil Tay???
New reports from The Blast tell us that Lil Tay’s father Christopher John Hope — who now shares custody of Tay — believes he was edged out of his daughter’s life by his ex-wife Angela and their son Jason, saying:
“I have been a major, significant part of my daughter’s life since she was born. In the last two years this changed (due to what my daughter was told by other people, and the actions of other people, not anything that I did), but she has always remained a source of pride and I have done my best to be the father she needs. I do regret not being able to fight past the other people in her life, who did not want me to be a part of her life, in the last while. I felt I had to step in this year because I felt it was my responsibility to try to keep her safe and keep her future from being ruined by people who just want to make money from her.”
This is a different take on what we previously saw on the aspiring actress’ IG (which has since been wiped clean) including videos of Tay crying upon hearing the news that she’d now be in the custody of her “abusive absentee” dad.
Now, Hope tells the publication that even though he supports his daughter’s big dreams, he wants to make sure she gets an education, too:
“People have to remember that my daughter is just a little girl. She needs to go to school and be happy and healthy. She does not need to make money for other people. Because she wants to sing and act, I will support her in that.”
And while he’s at it, Tay’s dad wants to shield her from the “bad advice” that got her in to hot water in the first place:
“My daughter wants to pursue acting and singing, and I support her 100% in following her dreams. I think she was given bad advice about many things earlier this year, and she was steered in the wrong direction by various people. I hope my daughter is able to follow a path that will make her happy, keep her safe, and allow her to grow up into the amazing person I know she is.”
Family dynamics can be really tough…
We can only hope Lil Tay is in the care of a responsible adult, and we wish her well on this hopefully non-problematic next chapter of her life.
Speaking of, how does Lil Tay feel about all of this? We wonder if she will eventually address the drama…
[Image via Good Morning America/YouTube]
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