Kailia Posey, Child Star of 'Toddlers & Tiaras,' Dies at 16 | Tragic Cause of Death Revealed

Kailia Posey, the child star who appeared on the reality show "Toddlers and Tiaras," died Monday at 16, just days after attending her prom.

Posey's mother, Marcy Posey Gatterman, confirmed her daughter's death on her Facebook post as she also asked for privacy, Crime Online reported.

Reports initially said that the cause of Posey's death was unknown. The Washington State Police earlier told Us that they were called to Birch Bay State Park Monday afternoon "to assist Whatcom County Sheriff on a juvenile death investigation."

The park is reportedly about a 30-minute drive from Posey's family home in Lynden. The Whatcom County Coroner's Office noted that Posey's death was under investigation. However, it provided no other information.

Former Child Star Kailia Posey's Death

The family of Kailia Posey said Tuesday that the former child star died by suicide. In a statement, Marcy Posey Gatterman told TMZ that her daughter "made the rash decision to end her earthly life."

According to Daily Mail, Posey's family has set up the Kailia Posey Teen Crisis Intervention Fund to get "much needed resources to students in crisis."

Authorities told Daily Mail that Kailia Posey's body was found inside a car at a park in Washington state on Monday.

The Birch Bay State Park, where authorities discovered Posey, is a 194-acre state park located along the Strait of Georgia shoreline.

The former child star has just celebrated her 16th birthday on April 19 and attended her high school prom during the weekend.

Posey was earlier reported to have possibly died in a car accident in Las Vegas. However, the Clark County Coroner told Daily Mail that they had no record of her in their system.

The teen made her last Instagram post on April 23, in which she revealed she was on a cruise and wore a red crop top and skirt. She captioned the photo, "none of your concern," with hashtags: #fun #friends #mylove #cruise.

"'I don't have words or any thoughts. A beautiful baby girl is gone," Posey's mother posted to Facebook as she confirmed her daughter's death.

About Kailia Posey

Kailia Posey appeared multiple times on the TLC reality series with her mother throughout its run from 2009 to 2013, according to Us Magazine.

At five years old, she competed in the California Tropic Arizona pageant, and she became one of Toddlers and Tiaras' most famous stars when a face she pulled in an interview became a popular reaction GIF.

In one of their Toddlers and Tiaras episodes, Gatterman said her daughter started doing pageants when she was three years old. Posey's mom added that her daughter was a "pro" when she hit the stage.

Posey continued to compete in pageants after the reality TV show. She also dipped into acting and appeared in the 2019 Netflix horror film "Eli."

Posey also announced in January that she would be a contestant in the 2022 Miss Washington pageant.

She won the Miss Lynden Teen 2021.

Last May 1, Gatterman announced on her Facebook page that her daughter was set to graduate with honors this June. Kailia Posey then launched a new Instagram account on the same day dedicated to showing off her gymnastics and contortion skills.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Toddlers & Tiaras Star Kailia Posey Dies at 16 - From E! News