Haliey Welch has debunked swirling rumors that she is suing the makers of the viral “Hawk Tuah” video that made her famous.
The overnight sensation was thrust into the spotlight in June this year when a video of her giving a racy sex tip on the streets of Nashville went viral.
When YouTubers, Tim & Dee TV, stopped Welch for a man-on-the-street chat and asked her what drives a “man crazy” in the bedroom, she replied “Hawk Tuah” – a short phrase meant to describe the sound associated with an intimate act.
Since then, Welch has capitalized on her sudden fame with merchandise and launching her own podcast called Talk Tuah.
Haliey Welch, better known as the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl, took to social media to quash rumors that she is suing the makers of the viral video that made her famous – calling it ‘fake news’
Her stardom soared in June this year after the clip of her giving a racy sex tip on the streets of Nashville went viral in a man-on-the-street chat
Welch capitalized on her fame overnight and launched a podcast called Talk Tuah
But on Saturday evening, the rumors began to swirl after an X account, @DramaAlert, wrote that Welch is suing the man who made her famous.
The rumors only intensified after the account added a screenshot in which the interviewers, Tim Dickerson and DeArius Marlow, appeared to confirm the allegations in the comments of a TikTok video.
When asked by viewers if it was real, Marlow said: ‘Not fake news. They put a backstory video on YouTube with all the receipts.”
Once the claim gained prominence on the Internet, netizens criticized Welch in the comments.
One viewer wrote: ‘And this will be her downfall. How terrible. She didn’t help them with anyone. She was a nobody. Now she’s suing the child? Gtfoh. How ungrateful.’
“She should thank him,” said another.
Another viewer added: “It’s CRAZY to sue the people who made you rich and famous for making you rich and famous.”
But Welch snapped back the next day, posting a photo of her face, photoshopped onto Reece Witherspoon’s character in a courtroom scene from the hit film Legally Blonde, on X.
“Fake news,” the caption read.
Someone replied to her post with a screenshot of the TikTok comment, where she then replied, “If I filed charges it would be public but I think there is a power hunt,” Newsweek reported.
After being thrust into the spotlight, Welch was able to parlay her 15 minutes of fame into a whole new career.
In July of this year, Welch filed to trademark her now signature phrase for full rights to use the sensational line on merchandise items including hats and t-shirts, which has earned her tens of thousands of dollars to date.
Rumors began swirling Saturday night after an X account, @DramaAlert, wrote that Welch is suing the man who made her famous, which the creators of the viral clip seemed to confirm in comments on a TikTok video
Since then, she has left her previous job at a feather factory in Belfast, Tennessee and has been a guest on dozens of established podcasts, threw the first pitch at a New York Mets game, been referenced in a Saturday Night Live skit and even appeared alongside country singer Zach Bryan during one of his shows.
In July of this year, Welch filed to trademark her now signature phrase for full rights to use the sensational line on merchandise items including hats and t-shirts, which has earned her tens of thousands of dollars to date.
But Dickerson and Marlow could never have imagined how much of an internet sensation she would become after their posted clip racked up more than 13 million views on TikTok.
The content creators told New York Times last July that while they are happy for Welch, they sometimes wonder when or if they will ever get some credit.
“At the end of the day, no one would know who she was if we didn’t expose it and post it,” Marlow said.
“A lot of the audience who hadn’t seen us before thinks we grew out of this one clip. People treated it as if we were nobody and didn’t have a platform yet.”
She has since left her previous post-star job at a Belfast, Tennessee feather factory and has been a guest on dozens of established podcasts, threw out the first pitch at a New York Mets game and been referenced in a Saturday Night Live sketch.
After Welch addressed the rumors on social media on Sunday, people quickly restored their support for the internet sensation
But after Welch addressed the rumors on social media on Sunday, people quickly restored their support for the internet sensation.
One viewer wrote: ‘Glad it’s fake, I wanted to hit the unfollow button.’
“Well I hope not, and it’s best if you shout out that guy who definitely helped you get to where you are today because you wouldn’t even have a podcast if we didn’t know who you were,” said another.
Another added: ‘No matter what anyone says, they want to talk about you. Good or bad. Your platform is there.’
Some viewers on the Internet are now waiting for the so-called ‘receipts’ that Marlow noted would be coming soon.
But the authenticity of the report is yet to be confirmed.