From viral fame to financial flameout—Haliey Welch’s $HAWK disaster.
Just one year ago, Haliey Welch was an unknown factory worker in Tennessee—until a raunchy street interview turned her into the internet’s “Hawk Tuah Girl,” a meme sensation with a signature phrase and unfiltered charm.
Overnight, she became a cultural phenomenon, launching merchandise, a podcast (Talk Tuah), and even rubbing shoulders with celebrities.
But her meteoric rise took a dark turn in December 2024 when she lent her name to $HAWK, a cryptocurrency meme coin that imploded within minutes of its launch, wiping out millions from unsuspecting investors and sparking accusations of a “rug-pull” scam.
The coin’s collapse was spectacular: after skyrocketing, $HAWK’s supply was controlled by just 285 insider wallets, which dumped their holdings almost immediately, a classic hallmark of crypto fraud.
Critics accused Welch of orchestrating a pump-and-dump scheme, leveraging her celebrity to lure first-time crypto buyers.
Welch, who admitted she “didn’t really understand” cryptocurrency, initially defended the project, insisting her team “hadn’t sold a single token.”
But the backlash was swift. Investors filed lawsuits (though Welch herself was not named), and the SEC opened—and later closed—an investigation into the debacle.
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Amid the chaos, Welch abruptly vanished from public life, famously signing off an X Spaces call with, “Anyhoo, I’m gonna go to bed,” before entering a three-month hiatus to focus on her mental health.
When she reemerged in March 2025, Welch struck a remorseful tone. “It really hurt my feelings,” she told Vanity Fair, reflecting on fans who lost life savings.
“I feel sorry for everybody that just lost money… You gotta be careful what you tie your name to.”
Though she’s since resumed podcasting and distanced herself from the crypto world, the scandal lingers—a cautionary tale about the dangers of influencer-backed meme coins and the fragility of internet fame.
