The Devastating Death Of Toddlers & Tiaras' Kailia Posey

Kailia Posey, who was known for her appearance in the TLC reality show "Toddlers & Tiaras," is dead, per The Wrap. As untimely a death as they come, Posey was only 16 when she died. 

Posey's passing came to light when her mother shared a short statement on Facebook. "I don't have words or any thoughts," Marcy Posey Gatterman wrote. "A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss of Kailia. My baby forever." The cause of Posey's death has not been disclosed.

Posey appeared in "Toddlers & Tiaras" in 2012 (via Deadline). Her one-episode stint with the show became a part of internet history, when a particular interview segment spawned a meme known as "Grinning Girl." She continued both her on-screen and pageant careers well beyond her "Toddlers & Tiaras" era. Notably, she appeared as Agnes in the 2019 horror movie "Eli," and won the title of Miss Teen Lynden WA USA earlier this year. 

Kailia Posey's death at such a young age has sent shockwaves over the pageant circles and social media, and people have already started paying their respects to her. "Please keep the pageant community in your thoughts and prayers today as we have lost one of our own," Mari Copeny, aka @LittleMissFlint, wrote on her Twitter account. 

Posey's final post on Instagram — a photo of her posing on the stairs of a cruise ship in a red outfit, posted a week ago — is flooded with comments that are full of sorrow and disbelief. "Can't even believe this has happened," "America's Got Talent" contestant Kadan Bart Rockett wrote. "I'm praying for you guys to get through this. She always was so kind to all of us. Rest In Peace." Many others have expressed similar sentiments, and it's clear that Kailia Posey was an extremely beloved and respected person.