‘Toddlers & Tiaras’ Star Kailia Posey Has Died at Age 16 — What Was Her Cause of Death?

TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras star Kailia Posey has died at age 16. She is survived by her parents, Marcy Posey Gatterman and stepfather Steve Gatterman, and two older brothers.

In addition to competing in beauty pageants on the show, Kailia was also a contortionist and circus performer.

Following Kailia’s death, many questions have been asked about how it happened.

On Monday, May 2022, Kailia’s mom announced her daughter’s death via Facebook. Gatterman shared a photo of Kailia smiling and posing in a tan, sequined dress in the post. She then confirmed that Kailia had died and asked her followers to give the family time to mourn her alone.

“I don’t have words or any thoughts,” Gatterman wrote. “A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss of Kailia. My baby forever.”

Kailia’s mom didn’t initially explain how the teenager died in her post. However, a cause of death was revealed in a statement to TMZ later that day.

"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," the statement read. "She won countless crowns & trophies after competing on the pageant circuit her entire life ... Her highly acclaimed talent as a contortionist had already led to professional touring job offers, and she had recently been selected to be a cheerleader at her high school next fall."

According to People magazine, her death is being investigated by the Washington State Patrol.

Kailia appeared in several episodes of Toddlers & Tiaras during its run. The TLC show first aired in 2009 and ended after four seasons. Although she was a small child when she made her reality TV debut, Kailia’s dreams didn’t end with reality TV fame.

In January 2022, she shared with her fans that she was still pleased about competing in pageants. She snapped a photo of herself prepping for the Miss Washington Teen USA competition during the post.

“I’m going to be competing in Miss Washington teen USA in February, and I am so excited!” Kailia wrote under a photo on Instagram.

Kailia also remained connected to her fans via social media. She often updated her page with photos of herself or friends on her main Instagram account. In July 2021, Kailia announced she reached 5,000 followers on her personal account. She also added a second page, @kailiacontortion, which she used as a platform to show off her skills.

Our thoughts are with Kailia's friends and family at this time.