KAILIA Posey of Toddlers & Tiaras fame has tragically died at the age of 16, and her cause of death has been revealed to The Sun.
The former reality star hung herself at Birch Bay State Park in Washington.
Whatcom County Medical Examiner told The Sun that the cause of death was due to hanging “and it’s a suicide.”
Her mother, Marcy Posey Gatterman, confirmed her daughter’s death on May 2, 2022, in an emotional Facebook post, writing:
“… 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 she was an accomplished teenager with a bright future ahead of her, unfortunately in one impetuous moment, she made the rash decision to end her earthly life,” her family told TMZ.
Kailia was best known for appearing on the popular TLC TV series Toddlers & Tiaras, which showcased kids preparing to compete in beauty pageants.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Read our Kailia Posey live blog for the very latest news and updates…
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Who was Cheslie Kryst?
Cheslie Kryst was a former Miss USA winner who died by suicide earlier this year.
The ex Miss USA winner penned a heartbreaking piece about turning 30 where she discussed her struggles with aging, her work ethic, and her search for purpose.
Kryst wrote: “Turning 30 feels like a cold reminder that I’m running out of time to matter in society’s eyes – and it’s infuriating.”
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Kailia’s family
The teen is survived by her parents, Marcy Posey Gatterman and stepdad Steve Gatterman.
She also leaves behind two older brothers, Kai and Nick.
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‘It doesn’t matter if you’re 76 or 16’
One Twitter user mentioned Naomi Judd’s untimely death in the wake of Kailia’s suicide, and said “we have got to step up our mental healthcare in this country.”
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Acting career
Kailia had just started her career as a budding actress with 2019’s horror film Eli, starring Kelly Reilly and Sadie Sink.
The movie is about a boy who becomes trapped in a haunted house while undergoing a mysterious treatment for a rare disease.
In the film, Kailia stars as Agnes Thorne – a devil/human hybrid.
She plays the titular character Eli’s older half-sister.
Eli is available to stream on Netflix.
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Cheslie Kryst’s heartbreaking final message
The beauty pageant star sent her mom a tragic final text message before plunging to her death.
The message said: “First, I’m sorry, by the time you get this, I won’t be alive anymore. And it makes me even more sad to write this because I know it will hurt you the most.”
“I love you more than any person I’ve ever known. You’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve done everything right.”
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Pageant queen
After her time on Toddlers & Tiaras, Kailia continued to compete in pageants.
Most recently, she had competed for the Miss Washington Teen USA title in February.
Although she did not win Miss Washington Teen USA, Posey earned the title of Miss Lynden Teen USA last year.
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Hobbies
The pageant star shared some of her hobbies on her Instagram account.
In a highlight reel on Instagram, Kailia shared that she enjoyed doing gymnastics, as well as fishing and archery.
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‘Grinning girl’ GIF
One of Kailia’s moments on Toddlers & Tiaras turned into a popular gif online.
In the clip from 2012, a five-year-old Kailia grins mischievously. The gif is still popular and remains in use today, especially on Twitter.
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Kailia’s best friend, continued
Biancha continued and added that Kailia had, “Taught me my first routine the night before the pageant. Rehearsed your lines before Ms. Teen Washington.”
“Took me on a cruise that brought so many memories for me. We went to Jamaica and found a cutie (shhh I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone),” she added.
“To our crazy tik toks we made. And shaking our booties for fun. I love you. I wish I could’ve done something.”
“You are in my prayers,” she continued. “I will miss you forever and always. Rest in paradise Kailia Posey.”
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‘To my beautiful best friend’
Kailia Posey tagged a girl named Biancha on her final Instagram post, and Biancha shared a sad message about Kailia’s passing on her own social media page.
“To my beautiful best friend, I’ll love you forever and ever. You were an amazing, beautiful person inside and out,” she began the post.
“Words cannot explain how painful this is, not only to me but all of the people that love you.”
“From the first day I met you I knew we were going to be best friends. You were such a bright and happy soul.”
“I’m so thankful for you Kailia, you truly brought out the happiest side of me. You reminded me to always be kind no matter how hard it was,” she added.
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‘Can’t even believe this’
Comments and condolences are pouring in on Kailia Posey’s final Instagram post.
“Can’t even believe this has happened. I’m praying for you guys to get through this. She always was so kind to all of us. Rest In Peace. ❤️” one person wrote.
“Rest In peace sweet girl” another added.
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Final Instagram post
On April 23, Kailia Posey shared an image of herself in a red dress on her Instagram account and captioned it, “None of your concern :).”
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‘You’ll be missed’
Many of Kailia’s fans took to her Instagram to share their condolences after her death.
One person wrote: “Thank you for being someone to look up to Kailia. Rest in peace.”
Another wrote: “You’ll be missed. Rest easy pretty girl,” and another added: “My heart is absolutely shattered. I love and miss you forever… fly high Kailia.”
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‘A beautiful baby girl is gone’
“I don’t have words or any thoughts,” Kailia Posey’s mom wrote on her Facebook page.
“A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss of Kailia. My baby forever.”
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How old was Kailia Posey?
Kailia Posey passed away at the age of 16.
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Where did Kailia go to school?
She graduated from Lynden High Academic and was named to the Dean’s List for the 2020-2021 school year.
She wanted to study aviation in college, and her ultimate goal was to become a commercial pilot.
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Kailia had a passion for flying
Kailia, according to her family, also had a “longtime” affinity for flight.
According to a statement shared in part by Fox News, her “dream was to continue in the entertainment industry while pursuing her commercial pilot license.”
“Our hope is that she will be remembered for her sweet spirit and the way she touched so many lives in a positive way,” the family said in a statement.
Posey’s family has also established a Whatcom Community Foundation fund in his honor, with all funds going toward “providing resources to help students in crisis,” per Fox News.
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Who did Kailia play in Eli?
In 2019, Kailia made her acting debut in the Netflix horror film Eli.
She played the character of Agnes.
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Kailia was a contortionist, continued
As she chronicled on Instagram, she frequently featured contortion in her pageants, Fox News reports.
Kailia posted a photo of herself performing in April 2021 in a pageant in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Her family said that her “highly acclaimed talent as a contortionist had already led to professional touring job offers.”
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Kailia was a contortionist
Kailia spent her time practicing contortion while she wasn’t participating in pageants.
Her mother began teaching her at the age of three months.
Kailia ran a specialized Instagram account for her contortionist pastime.
She debuted her second Instagram account prior to her death with her first post, per Fox News.
She was shown exercising her talents in a video, and her comment section was full of admiration.
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When was Kailia’s last pageant?
Posey’s most recent competition was Miss Teen Washington in February where she finished second runner-up, according to Fox News.
She also won the Miss Photogenic award, which was decided by the general public.
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When did Kailia start competing in pageants?
According to a Toddlers & Tiaras episode, Kailia’s mother said that her daughter made her debut in pageantry at 3 years old.
Her mother said: “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.”
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Pageant executive producer remembers Kailia, continued
Pageants Northwest is in charge of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant qualifiers in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
In February, Posey competed in the Washington pageant and finished second runner-up.
She also won the Miss Photogenic award, which was decided by the general public.
“She was such a nice gal, she was so nice to our team, fellow contestants,” Francisco said about Kailia in the interview.
“I just remember her during pageant weekend, and she was constantly smiling, laughing, and she is a typical teen. The energy around her – she is definitely going to be greatly missed.”
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Pageant executive producer remembers Kailia
Maureen Francisco, who worked with Posey at her most recent pageant, said she was shocked when she learned the news of Posey’s death in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Francisco said: “When I first saw the post that her mom posted about Kailia, I was in shock, I didn’t believe it. At first, I thought maybe her mother’s Facebook got hacked, so I had to wait. I realized it wasn’t going away, that this is actually real.
“That’s when it really hit me like wow.”
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Did Kailia and Honey Boo Boo compete?
Toddlers & Tiaras is the reality series that Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson got her start on, alongside her family.
However, it is not known if Alana and Kailia Posey ever competed against one another.
