The young woman who shot to fame after a clip of her offering an enthusiastic sex tip went viral has finally spoken out.
Haliey Welch, now known as the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl, described her surprise at becoming an overnight sensation, the ‘creepy’ reactions she’s received from men online, and how her parents remained unfazed by her explicit advice.
Speaking to Brianna Lapaglia on the Plan Bri Uncut podcast Monday, the 21-year-old revealed that fans have offered her up to $600 to spit in a jar for them. However, Welch, whose unique spelling of her name has been confirmed by DailyMail.com, expressed her hesitation to remain known as the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl forever.
She also shared that she has quit her factory job and hired a management team since the video of her explaining how to ‘make a man go crazy in bed’ went viral. The clip, filmed on a Nashville street for Tim & Dee TV, has garnered over 3 million views on YouTube since it aired on June 19.
When asked about her parents’ reaction to her viral comment, Welch replied, “They think it’s so funny… they never know what’s gonna come out of my mouth,” she told Lapaglia.
Haliey Welch, 23, famously known as the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl, sat down with Brianna Lapaglia on the Plan Bri Uncut podcast on Monday.
When asked about her parents’ thoughts on her viral crude comment, Welch said they find it comical.
Welch initially isolated herself in rural Tennessee, living with her family who built a protective barrier around her to shield her from the sudden publicity.
Since being thrust into the spotlight, she has received ‘revolting’ offers from fans attempting to reach her through the man she partnered with to offer special ‘Hawk Tuah’ merchandise.
She shared, “The guy who handles my hats was offered $600 three days ago for me to spit in a jar and sell it. That is revolting! That is just disgusting, isn’t it?”
Welch also expressed frustration with social media users spelling her name wrong and creating accounts with her photos. She insists she deleted all of her social media six months ago, long before becoming an internet sensation.
“It’s kind of creepy seeing your face on an account that doesn’t belong to you,” Welch added.
Welch was hailed as the ‘queen of the internet’ after being asked for her tips on how to please a man in bed. Enthusiastically, she said, “You gotta give ’em that hawk tuah.”
Hundreds of memes followed, there was talk of a Hollywood agent, the phrase was shouted by a fan as 2024 US Open golf champion Bryson DeChambeau hit a tee shot at the LIV event in Nashville, and gymnast Olivia Dunne joined the craze.
Mixed martial arts hero Conor McGregor tweeted on X, “Have we located hawk tuah yet?”
She joined Brianna Lapaglia, also known as ‘Brianna Chickenfry,’ just two days after sharing the stage with Lapaglia’s boyfriend Zach Bryan at the Nashville Nissan Stadium.
In the wide-ranging interview, Welch confirmed she had been out drinking that evening and that her vulgar comment was intended as a joke, stating she “didn’t mean anything by it.”
Welch became famous for an interview she did on June 19, in which she used the term ‘Hawk Tuah’ to describe a sexual act.
The rising star was then quizzed on her celebrity crush in a game called ‘Hawk Tuah or Nah.’
Lapaglia first asked what Welch thought of her own country singer boyfriend, cautioning Welch to “be careful.”
Welch and Chelsea Bradford, the friend who stood next to her in the viral clip, both broke into laughter before telling Lapaglia, “I love you, but hawk tuah.”
The pair expressed interest in Morgan Wallen but did not recognize Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown.
They initially failed to recognize Dave Portnoy, the owner of Barstool Sports, but after Lapaglia showed them a picture, they gave him a “Hawk.”
Welch and Bradford were also hesitant when asked about professional boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul, but they immediately rejected the idea of “hawk tuah” for former President Donald Trump.
Welch explained that she never expected to see the clip again after it was filmed.
“I think he posted the full video on YouTube this past Sunday, but he only told us he was a YouTuber. He never mentioned Instagram, TikTok, nothing of the sort. So I was like, ‘Oh well, I’m never going to see this again,’ but sure enough, I saw it again,” she said.
She described her surprise at seeing the video get a million views but assumed it wouldn’t “get any bigger” than that.
“Then I go back like an hour later, and the views had gone up by a million, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, there is no way that just happened,'” Welch added.
The 21-year-old joined Brianna Lapaglia, also known as ‘Brianna Chickenfry,’ just two days after Lapaglia shared the stage with her boyfriend Zach Bryan at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.
Lapaglia asked Welch how she felt about being known as the Hawk Tuah girl, to which Welch responded that she doesn’t want to be called that for the rest of her life.
Welch also debunked rumors about her and her family’s employment. The internet initially claimed that Welch was a schoolteacher who got fired after the video went viral and that her father was a preacher.
“I worked in a spring factory; I’m not a schoolteacher,” she clarified. “My father is so far from a preacher, it’s crazy.”
After gaining fame, Welch quit her job and now plans to travel across the country, appearing on various shows and podcasts.
“There’s more to come, don’t worry,” she added.
Despite the creepy messages from men, Welch has also received a fair amount of hate but remains unfazed by it.
“The people that are out here hatin’, I don’t even know ’em. So, what the f**k do I care?” she said.
