‘Hawk Tuah’ girl Haliey Welch shot to fame when she dished out some racy sex tips in a now-viral video on the streets of Nashville. According to her new management team, the 23-year-old has now proven she’s got more than 15 minutes of fame.
That impromptu interview has led to a lucrative career for the Tennessee native, who has since signed with the management company The Penthouse, which now helps her book gigs that pay her as much as $20,000 each, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
According to Jonnie Forster, founder of The Penthouse, the management team works ‘around the clock’ to provide Haliey with the right projects for her blossoming career. And it is all carefully thought out.
“We’ve been offered millions of dollars in adult-themed performance deals, sponsorships, obviously OnlyFans, and that’s not who she is,” Jonnie told THR.
“She was recently on the Rolling Stone website and they’re basically calling her the Dolly Parton of Gen Z,” he added.
Haliey Welch, known as the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl, rose to fame after a video of her giving sex tips on the streets of Nashville went viral
While Hawk Tuah girl Haliey Welch is ready to cash in, it seems she is finding it hard to deal with fame – some would say notoriety.
The famous Tennessee woman was even asked to compete on American Idol after singing on Zach Bryan’s show, but Jonnie says he quickly turned her down.
“They saw her sing on the Zach Bryan stage. The email said, ‘We saw her sing on the Zach Bryan show, and she had such an amazing voice. We would like to see how we can get her on the show,'” he recalled.
‘I emailed back, “She can’t sing at all. Did you even see the performance? Because she couldn’t carry a melody in a bag,” he continued.
“But she doesn’t sing and she doesn’t want to take jobs away from people who do have talent,” he said.
After signing Haliey, Jonnie’s management team traveled to her hometown of Belfast, Tennessee, and immediately got to work.
They licensed merchandise featuring her iconic catchphrase, flagged fake accounts that sprung up after she went viral, and tracked down the lucrative deals.
“I think she’s different from everyone else who came before her. She didn’t ask for this,” Jonnie said enthusiastically.
“She was off social media for six months due to mental health issues. She would never have been on social media again if it wasn’t for that night on Broadway,” the talent manager added.
“She had to go back and say, ‘Hey, these people are pretending to be me.’”
Even her recently struck deal with a local hat maker for caps with her sex advice slogan is shrouded in an element of secrecy
She has done several interviews for publications, performed on stage at a Zach Bryan concert and even offered career advice to Shaquille O’Neal
Haliey has been offered a range of career opportunities, including a reality TV series, podcast, book and even a tour of Europe, but Jonnie says they have been selective about what they do next.
“She’s not an actress. We’ve turned down a number of film offers, including several horror films,” Jonnie explained.
“She’s not a professional actress. She’s funny. Her job is to do comedy stuff and possibly do something like that in the future,” he said.
Jonnie continues, “We’re thinking about starting a podcast with her, which while it’s comedic in tone, is also very relatable and authentic to who she is as a small-town girl.”
There’s even a possibility we’ll see Hawk Tuah on a world tour, as Haliey had never been on a plane before going viral.
“There are a couple of different ideas. We’re going to sit down with a couple of showrunners who have already been on the phone with us and work that out,” he said.
Haliey was reportedly paid $20,000 for her first paid live performance at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, though TMZ reported the figure was closer to $30,000.
She has done several interviews for publications, performed on stage at a Zach Bryan concert, and even offered career advice to Shaquille O’Neal.
“Her 15 minutes are up. She’s already on 16,” Jonnie said passionately.