After Lil Tay gained internet notoriety, her father, Chris Hope, sought physical custody of the teen star. Lil Tay’s mother, Hope Trian, then claimed that Chris simply wanted to capitalize off of the young rapper’s career. "He’s done many things that showed that," Hope told The Daily Beast in 2018. She also said, "Last week, Tay was searching online, and found out that Chris Hope trademarked 'Lil Tay.'"

In response to the allegation, Chris explained that he filed that trademark in order to secure Lil Tay’s financial future. He said, “It was obvious that her mom hadn’t taken any steps to do things in a business-like manner.” Amid the legal dispute, Jason set up a GoFundMe account for Lil Tay, who he says was abused by Chris and his wife, Hanee (per Daily Mail). Despite Jason’s efforts, Chris was later granted custody of Lil Tay.