From Viral Fame to the Spotlight: Haliey Welch’s Wild Rise and Rough Ride
Haliey Welch, better known to the internet as the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” has quickly gone from viral meme sensation to an emerging name in entertainment. After capturing global attention in mid-2024 with a hilarious street interview moment, Welch leveraged her newfound fame to build a diverse career beyond social media.
Her breakout moment—an offbeat, humorous comment during a casual interview—spread like wildfire, racking up millions of views and propelling her into the digital spotlight. Capitalizing on the momentum, Welch launched a successful merchandise line, raking in over $65,000 in sales.
In September 2024, she took things further by teaming up with Betr, the media platform co-founded by Jake Paul, to launch the Talk Tuah podcast. The show quickly gained traction with high-profile guests like comedian Whitney Cummings, rapper Wiz Khalifa, and billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban. Fans praised the podcast for blending humor, raw conversations, and celebrity insight.
However, Welch’s journey hit a major bump in December 2024 with the launch of her cryptocurrency token, $HAWK. While the token initially soared—reaching an eye-popping market cap of nearly $500 million—its value plummeted by more than 90% in a matter of minutes, sparking outrage among investors.
Many accused the project of being a classic “pump and dump” scheme, leading to substantial financial losses and intense backlash. The situation caught the attention of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which has since launched an investigation into potential securities law violations.
Hailey Welch aka “Hawk Tuah” girl says the SEC has closed its investigation into her crypto meme coin that crashed right after it launched pic.twitter.com/ld9dir33jb
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) March 28, 2025
As reported by TMZ on March 27, 2025, Welch now finds herself at the center of growing legal and public scrutiny—marking a dramatic twist in her whirlwind rise to fame.
“For the past few months, I’ve been cooperating with all the authorities and attorneys, and finally, that work is complete.”
Following the review, the SEC finished its inquiry and did not take any action against Welch.
Haliey’s attorney, James Sallah, stated:
“The SEC closed the investigation without making any findings against, or seeking any monetary sanctions from, Haliey. Because they did not bring any action against her, there are no restrictions on what she can do in regards to crypto or securities in the future.”
Welch admitted her regret over the situation and acknowledged that her supporters had lost significant money. To focus on her mental well-being, she was absent from the public eye for three months and has now returned to mark new beginnings in her career.
On April 1, Haley Welch confirmed that Talk Tuah was being brought back for a new season. The show is now hosted by Haley and produced by her company, 16 Minutes, which oversees its production.
Haliey Welch’s comeback: Podcast revival and documentary announced
With this latest development, their collaboration on Jake Paul’s media business, Betr Holdings, Inc., has officially ended. Vulture received a joint statement from both parties confirming the decision:
“Haliey Welch and Betr Holdings, Inc. have mutually agreed to end their partnership regarding the Talk Tuah podcast and wish each other well in their future endeavors.”
Alongside the podcast’s revival, Haliey Welch’s growing influence in the media space continues with the announcement of an upcoming documentary. Bungalow Media + Entertainment, a company that has won Emmys, is developing the project.
The upcoming project is said to present a look at Welch’s speedy rise from unknown to instant meme after the video she appeared in went viral. As confirmed by Deadline, the film aims to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the intense and often chaotic rise that followed her breakout moment online.
