"Hawk Tuah" phenomenon turned one this month: Here is what factory worker turned influencer, Haliet Welch, is up to
Credit: Instagram/@hay_welch
You blink once, and a year flies by. That's exactly how it feels when you realize that the 'Hawk Tuah' phenomenon—one of the internet's wildest viral moments—first exploded exactly a year ago.
What began as a spontaneous comment on a Nashville sidewalk has since transformed Haliey Welch, a factory worker from Tennessee, into an unexpected internet celebrity with a podcast, brand deals, and even a cryptocurrency controversy to her name.
A night out turns into internet history
It was a regular summer night in Nashville's Broadway district when Haliey Welch and her best friend Chelsea Bradford crossed paths with YouTubers Tim Dickerson and DeArius Marlow, known for their vox-pop series Tim & Dee TV.
What started as playful banter took a dramatic turn when Haliey responded to a question with an exaggerated, Southern-laced phrase—what the internet now knows as the iconic 'Hawk Tuah' moment.
The phrase 'hawk tuah and spit on that thang,' was meant as an exaggerated, comedic response to a playful street interview question. In Southern slang, 'hawk tuah' mimics the sound of someone clearing their throat to spit—something often said jokingly to show boldness or toughness.
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Haliey used it in a cheeky, over-the-top way to answer what makes her 'wifey material,' blending shock humor with regional drawl.
The video, uploaded on June 11, 2023, racked up over 4 million views in its original form. But reposts—many stripped of the original watermark—flooded platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, turning the phrase into an unstoppable meme.
Instant fame and a sudden shift in life
At the time, Haliey was living with her grandmother and working a minimum-wage factory job.
She didn't even have social media. According to Rolling Stone, her family was the first to notice her sudden fame, after seeing the viral clip circulating on Facebook.
As merchandise featuring the phrase "Hawk Tuah" started selling fast—one company reportedly sold over 2,000 hats and made £50,000 in weeks—Haliey realized others were cashing in on her moment. Fearing she'd be fired from her job for missing too much work, she decided to take charge of her image.
Credit: Instagram/@hay_welch
She hired a lawyer and an agent through a family friend's recommendation and signed with The Penthouse agency, known for managing internet influencers and creatives. From there, things escalated fast. Haliey appeared alongside country singer Zach Bryan at one of his concerts and threw the first pitch at a New York Mets game. She became a fixture on various podcasts before launching one of her own, Talk Tuah, co-hosted with Chelsea Bradford.
At its peak, the podcast hit No. 5 on the global Spotify charts.
Fame, fallout, and the crypto crash
In December 2023, the viral phrase birthed a memecoin: $HAWK. Haliey was positioned as the face of the coin, which initially soared to a $490 million market cap. But within hours, the coin's value plummeted by over 95%, devastating many amateur investors.
As Metro UK reported, Haliey faced intense backlash and scrutiny, particularly after hosting a crypto Q&A on X (formerly Twitter) where she dismissed tough questions with a now-infamous line: 'Anyhoo, I'm going to bed.'
She then retreated from the public eye for several months. Although she was later cleared of any wrongdoing, the experience took a toll on her mental health.
Credit: Instagram/@hay_welch
What's next for the 'Hawk Tuah' girl?
In April 2025, Haliey reappeared, relaunching
Talk Tuah
and expressing hopes of one day interviewing Britney Spears. She also has a documentary in the works chronicling her rapid rise from obscurity to internet fame and will make a cameo in
Chad Powers
, an upcoming Hulu series starring Glen Powell.
From a viral street interview to podcast host, celebrity guest, and crypto spokesperson, Haliey Welch's journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. One year later, the girl once known only as 'Hawk Tuah Girl' is still learning how to navigate fame in a world where internet moments can change lives overnight—and not always for the better.
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