'Toddlers and Tiaras' star Kailia Posey dead at 16, her family says

• Kailia Posey, who appeared on "Toddlers and Tiaras" as a young child, died at age 16.
• Her mother posted on Facebook about her daughter's death, saying "a beautiful baby girl is gone."
• Posey is best known for an image of her grinning on "Toddlers and Tiaras," which became a popular meme.

"Toddlers and Tiaras" star Kailia Posey died at 16, her mother announced on Facebook Monday evening. 

"I don't have words or any thoughts," Marcy Posey Gatterman shared on Facebook Monday, accompanying the post with a photo of Posey in a golden gown at prom. "A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss Kailia. My baby forever."

Gatterman did not confirm the cause of death on Facebook.

Page Six reported that there were reports online saying that Posey was involved in a car accident in Las Vegas, though it did not substantiate those reports. A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Police Department told Insider that the department had no knowledge of the alleged incident nor of Posey.

Posey was best known for appearing on the TLC series "Toddlers and Tiaras" when she was five years old in a 2012 episode titled "California Tropic Arizona." In the years following, she's become one of the most recognizable faces from the series thanks to a GIF of her grinning widely and looking to the side. It's become a popular reaction image on social media. 

Posey recently competed in the Miss Washington Teen USA pageant, representing the city of Lynden. According to her bio on the pageant website, she was a student at Lynden High School, where she was named to the Dean's List for the 2020-2021 school year. Kailia aspired to study aviation in college and wanted to become a commercial pilot, the bio also noted.

"Kailia hopes to show members of her generation that they can positively impact the world if they are patient and work hard," her bio reads. 

According to Facebook posts from her mother, Posey learned in April that she had made the Lynden High Football Cheer team. She also recently attended prom.

On Posey's most recent Instagram posts, social media users left comments expressing their sympathy. Her most recent Instagram post, uploaded on April 23, showed her posing on a brightly lit staircase, and on Sunday, she launched an Instagram account dedicated to her contortion skills. 

Posey's mother and step-father did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. The Lynden police department was not able to immediately return Insider's request for comment.