Hawk Tuah Girl: A look back at the rise and fall of the internet sensation a year after going viral

The Hawk Tuah Girl, whose real name is Haliey Welch, went viral a year ago in June 2024. She was catapulted to popularity after saying the phrase in an Instagram clip which gained millions of views from across the globe and across all demographics.

Welch's popularity opened avenues for her to dabble in multiple careers. She released her merchandise, started her own podcast, was seen on shows and events with celebrities, and even started her own crypto memecoin.

The memecoin, however, ended up being a failure, leading to major losses to the investors. It even reportedly led to a lawsuit against the creators, but incidentally, Welch wasn't listed as one of them.

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The origin of popularity of Hawk Tuah girl

On June 10, 2024, Timanddeetv shared a clip on Instagram where the host interviews people on the street. In the clip, Haliey Welch answered a question and said the phrase "Hawk Tuah". The clip went viral, and she was then known as the Hawk Tuah girl.

This led to a wave of fame and eventually, business opportunities for Welch. She started off with making merchandise such as t-shirts and hats, which were also featured in the popular supermarket, Spencer's.

She started her Instagram and X accounts, which gained millions of followers.

Welch also launched a dating app, named Pookie Tools. She was then seen at multiple shows and sporting events. She made the first pitch at a Mets game and also sat with Lil Pump at the Jake Paul fight.

Incidentally, Jake Paul is the co-founder of Betr, a fantasy and sports betting website. Betr sponsored Welch to release her new podcast, named Talk Tuah.

She brought on various guests, and these episodes got several thousands of views. The internet sensation also collaborated with the likes of KSI and Mr. Beast.

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The Hawk Coin controversy and Haliey Welch's return

In December 2024, Haliey Welch announced that she's introducing a new $Hawk coin. It was a cryptocurrency coin that saw an initial boost as her fans bought it, but saw an incredible downfall. It reportedly went down from $500 million to $60 million in 20 minutes.

Many investors lost thousands of dollars, which saw Welch take a break from social media and her podcast. FaZe Banks, who was initially a gamer but then became a founder, accused Welch's team of releasing their episode of the podcast without consent in February.

On March 25, Welch posted a video on Instagram, hinting that the Hawk Tuah girl was back. Her first guest on her Talk Tuah podcast was KSI.

Incidentally, her podcast didn't feature Betr as the sponsor anymore. However, her new episodes barely reach 25k views.

Incidentally, Bungalow Media + Entertainment is also working on a documentary on Haliey Welch.

It will focus on her rise and downfall and the impact social media can have on a person's life. The release details of the documentary haven't been revealed yet.

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