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Did Kailia Posey kill herself? Meme star from 'Toddlers and Tiaras' dead at 16

Posey's family revealed she had killed herself in a heartbreaking post.

Kailia Posey, a pageant queen who appeared on TLC's 'Toddlers and Tiaras' when she was five years old, has died from suicide aged 16, her family has said. 'Toddlers and Tiaras' was a show that gave a behind-the-scenes look at the world of children's pageants. In an episode in 2016, Posey's mother said she started doing pageants when she was three years old, and her talent was being a contortionist.

Kailia's mother, Marcy Posey Gatterman, told TMZ in a statement that her daughter 'made the rash decision to end her earthly life.' Posey's family has set up Kailia Posey Teen Crisis Intervention Fund with the goal of getting 'much needed resources to students in crisis.'

Posey became popular even outside of the show after she made a grinning face during a 2012 episode, which became viral as a meme. The cause of her death has not been revealed. However, PEOPLE reported that the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said it is part of a multi-agency investigation related to Posey's death. Washington State Parks Department also confirmed the investigation. Washington State Patrol Public Information Officer Trooper Jacob Kennett tells PEOPLE: "Yesterday on May 2 at about 1:26 pm, Washington State Patrol was called to assist Whatcom Sheriff's department to assist in a death investigation involving a minor at Birch Bay State Park." Other agencies that are involved include the Washington State Parks Department and the Blaine Police Department.

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Posey's death was announced on Facebook by her mother, Marcy Posey Gatterman. "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," she wrote.

Who was Kailia Posey?

Posey mainly focused on her future in pageantry. However, she also played Agnes in the Netflix horror movie 'Eli' in 2018. Her pageant biography says that Posey intended to become a commercial airline pilot. 

"Kailia loves to entertain, from performing contortion with Cirque du Soleil, to playing Agnes in the Netflix movie “Eli” in 2018.A 15-year-old freshman at Lynden High School, Kailia plans to study aviation in college and become a commercial pilot. She was named to the Dean’s List for the 2020/2021 school year. Kailia hopes to show members of her generation that they can positively impact the world if they are patient and work hard," the biography says. 

Social media users took to Twitter to mourn Posey's death. "Rip Kailia Posey. Prayers go out to the posey family," one user wrote. "Rip Kalia Posey gone at 16… she was literally my favorite contestant on the show," wrote another. 

"You know the happy smile meme of this cute 5 year old? It’s of Kailia Posey. She was on”Toddlers & Tiaras.” Her mom says she passed at 16-years-old. So young," one user said, while another wrote, "Let’s send thoughts and prayers to Kailia posey‘s memory and her family. She was a star on toddlers and tiara the TV show and is dead. So very tragic and so young. Sweet 16. At this point in time relatives do not appear to be giving the cause of death." "Kailia Posey, the face of a super cute reaction gif I used often has died, at only 16 years old. I feel sad, she expressed my reaction so often in images. RIP little girl," one user commented.