Kailia Posey of 'Toddlers and Tiaras' dead at 16, mother says
Diamond Silver Crown for Miss Pageant Beauty Contest, Crystal Tiara jewelry decorated gems stone and abstract dark background on black velvet fabric cloth, Macro photography copy space for text logo
Kailia Posey, a former participant of "Toddlers and Tiaras," has died at 16 years old, according to a Facebook post by her mother.
"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."
No cause of death was revealed.
Posey got her start on TLC’s "Toddlers and Tiaras." The series ran for seven seasons, ending in 2013. The show featured families entering their children into beauty pageants.
Her infectious smile and excitement was so popular that it became a meme among social media users.
According to FOX News, Kailia continued to participate in pageants following her time on the show and had recently competed in the Miss Washington Teen USA pageant in February.
"I’m going to be competing in Miss Washington teen USA in February and I am so excited!" she wrote on Instagram. Following the pageant, Kailia shared photos of herself and captioned the post, "One word. Thankful."
This story was reported from Los Angeles.