Hailey Welch, familiar to many as “Hawk Tuah Girl” from her viral video, is set to grace the screen again, this time in a new documentary produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment, as reported by Deadline on March 25.
Hailing from Tennessee, Welch rocketed to internet fame in mid-2024 after a street interview. When asked the question, “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?”, her candid reply, “You gotta give ’em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang!” took the internet by storm. The video has since amassed over 9 million views on YouTube.
In the wake of her newfound stardom, Welch embarked on a series of ventures, utilizing her platform for a variety of projects. She launched a podcast, which boasted guests such as billionaire Mark Cuban, and even dipped her toes into entrepreneurial waters.
However, it was her foray into the world of cryptocurrency that landed her in the headlines once again. In December 2024, Welch launched a memecoin, $HAWK. It briefly reached a market cap of $490 million, but within minutes, it had crashed by over 93%.
According to Bubblemaps, 285 wallets had acquired a staggering 96% of the token’s supply during its presale and early distribution stage. Most of these wallets immediately dumped their tokens, leading to the dramatic crash.
Despite allegations of a ‘rug pull’, Welch’s team insisted she hadn’t sold her share and denied rumors that influencers were given free tokens. However, the incident has led to a lawsuit against the token’s creators from investors who lost millions.
Welch herself isn’t named in the suit, which instead targets web3 launchpad overHere, its founder Clinton So, the Tuah the Moon Foundation, and influencer Alex Larson Schultz, also known as “Doc Hollywood.”
The incident with $HAWK drew immediate comparisons to other celebrity and influencer-led cryptocurrency ventures and prompted calls for legal accountability.
In a since-deleted statement, Welch affirmed she was taking the matter “extremely seriously” and was working in conjunction with legal teams representing affected investors.
On March 25, Welch returned to Instagram, her first post since the controversy. In the post, she humorously addressed internet rumors of her demise, pregnancy, or arrest. Her profile now describes her as “an influence for good” and links to the Deadline article detailing her upcoming documentary.
This new development offers a glimpse into the life of Welch, the viral sensation turned controversial figure, and promises to shed light on the events surrounding the $HAWK debacle.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair.
