Hailey Welch, best known as the viral “Hawk Tuah” girl, has broken her silence since her meteoric rise to fame.
Welch appeared on Brianna LaPaglia’s ‘Plan Bri’ podcast on Monday to discuss her newfound fame and set the record straight on various falsehoods circulating the internet.
During the podcast, Welch recounted an unusual offer she received. “The guy that does my hats got offered $600 for me to spit in a jar and sell it. That is revolting. I was like, should I do it? But it’s disgusting,” she explained. The offer highlighted the extreme and sometimes disturbing lengths people go to capitalize on internet fame.
LaPaglia asked Welch about her initial reaction to the video that made her famous. “So, this video goes viral. You see it, and when you first see it, is it like millions of views? Are you officially the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl?” Welch responded, “It was massive. I thought it wouldn’t get any bigger, but an hour later, the views had gone up by a million. I was like, ‘Oh my God, there is no way that just happened.’”
Welch also addressed the public’s reaction and the creation of fake accounts. “They started spelling my name wrong and making accounts with pictures from my friends’ social media. It’s creepy seeing your face on an account that doesn’t belong to you,” she said. When asked if she wanted to embrace her new identity or step back, Welch admitted, “There was a big part of me that didn’t want to be known as the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl.”
Welch gained fame after a humorous clip from Tim & Dee TV on 11 June, where she coined the memorable phrase, “You gotta give ’em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang.” This phrase quickly catapulted her to internet stardom, capturing the attention of personalities like Joe Rogan. Reflecting on her sudden fame, Welch remarked, “It’s been a whirlwind, but I’m grateful for the support and kindness I’ve received from people all over.”
Welch’s story is a testament to the unpredictability of internet fame and the strange, sometimes unsettling experiences that can come with it. As she navigates her new reality, she remains cautious but hopeful, looking forward to what the future holds.
