Dua Lipa's Songwriter Talay Riley's Post With Zendaya Surfaces Amid His Death, 'Thank God For This'

In an unfortunate piece of news, it was revealed that well-known songwriter, Talay Riley, has passed away. What left the music industry in shock was that Talay died at the age of 35, after being involved in a stabbing incident. It is worth noting that Talay was behind the hit songs of artists like Dua Lipa, Khalid, Chris Brown and more. Well, as fans mourn the loss of Talay, his post with the Euphoria star, Zendaya, has surfaced. 

Talay Riley's post with Zendaya surfaces amid his death at 35 

Talay Riley was a Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter. On his public Instagram account, he boasts nearly 11.3k followers. After fans heard the tragic news of his death, many took to the comments of his old pictures to share their tributes. However, one picture that caught everyone's attention was a snap featuring Talay alongside Zendaya. 

The post in question appeared to be a throwback picture of the two, which he posted on March 14, 2026. In the caption, referring to Zendaya, he wrote that he had the opportunity to work with one of the most influential and established people. He even thanked God and claimed that it was “divine intervention.” Talay wrote:

“A few years back, I had the opportunity to work with one of the most influential, recognised and established individuals on the planet. @zendaya I thank God for this, looking back now I see it was divine intervention. If you are reading this Z! God bless and keep on being Supernatural & Great. Congratulations on having too much sauce, and more.” 

Talay Riley died after being stabbed to death

According to reports, it was on June 5, 2026 (ET) that Talay Riley found himself in a rather unfortunate incident. The Metropolitan Police revealed that officials had come across a man in the Silvertown area of East London with several stab wounds on Friday, June 5, 2026. The man in question was none other than Talay Riley, as revealed in an official press release some time later. Reportedly, by the time Talay was transported to the hospital, he had already taken his last breath and was pronounced dead upon arrival. 

As of now, a homicide investigation has already been launched after the police claimed that three people might have been involved in the death of Talay. According to reports, a 27-year-old man, a 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have been taken into custody on suspicion that they were behind the songwriter's murder. It is worth noting that apart from Talay, another man was also stabbed and later taken to the hospital, although his condition was not life-threatening, as per authorities. 

More about Talay Riley 

Talay Riley was born on July 10, 1990, in London. It was in 2009 when he made his first appearance with rapper, Chipmunk, on the track, Look For Me. Over the years, he had also released some solo singles, including Make You Mine and Not Enough. On the other hand, he had worked with a number of renowned artists and featured on songs like Zero After Zero by KRSNA and Kshmr, It's All Love by Scorcher, and Dirty Love by Wilkinson. As a songwriter, his credits included Jessie J's Who's Laughing Now, Ellie Goulding's In My City, Chris Brown's Rock Your Body, and Dua Lipa's Hotter Than Hell, to name a few. 

Many people in the industry have shared their tributes after the heartbreaking way in which Talay Riley passed away. And among his family, it was his brother, Michael Orabiyi, who penned an emotional note for the songwriter. A part of the note can be read as:

"I never thought the day would come when I'd be writing this, but unfortunately, I can confirm that on the morning of Friday, 5th June, my big brother YINKA (Talay Riley) passed away. My heart is shattered! This doesn't feel real. It feels like a bad dream. Just before he went to sleep, we spoke about the future, staying positive and about everything we still had left to do. I never imagined that would be our last conversation."

Photos Credit: Talay Riley/IG

Check out the post here. 

Rest in peace, Talay Riley. 

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