She is the queen of the internet after her graphic demonstration of a “sex tip” involving spitting went viral, generating instant imitation from her fans.
But while Hawk Tuah girl Haliey Welch is ready to cash in, it seems fame (some would say notoriety) is proving difficult for her to handle.
After the avalanche of publicity, DailyMail.com can reveal that Welch has practically hidden away in quiet Lewisburg, Tennessee, where he lives with his family in rural seclusion on the outskirts of the small town.
Meanwhile, her friends and associates in the tight-knit community 60 miles south of Nashville have created a protective wall around her as she processes her new life in the spotlight, however long that may last.
In fact, even his newly signed deal with a local hat maker for caps emblazoned with his sex advice slogan is shrouded in an element of secrecy.
Haliey Welch became famous for the video in which she used the term ‘Hawk Tuah’ to describe spitting as part of a sexual act.
The official $32.70 helmet that proclaims ‘Hawk Tuah ’24, Spit on That Thang’ sells for $43.70 with his original signature on the brim.
Following the avalanche of publicity, DailyMail.com can reveal that Welch has virtually holed up in quiet Lewisburg, Tennessee, where he lives with his family in rural seclusion on the outskirts of the small town.
The official $32.70 helmet that proclaims ‘Hawk Tuah ’24, Spit on That Thang’ sells for $43.70 if they have your original signature on the brim.
However, DailyMail.com can reveal that it will not visit the manufacturer to sign. Instead, they take the caps to a neutral location.
Welch achieved worldwide recognition after being asked for her advice on “driving a man crazy in bed” during a Nashville street video for Tim & Dee TV, which aired on June 19.
With enthusiasm, and with a considerable display of noise mimicking, he revealed: “You have to give them that hawk tuah.”
Hundreds of memes have followed, there is talk of a Hollywood agent, the phrase was shouted by a fan when 2024 US Open golf champion Bryson DeChambeau hit a tee shot at the LIV event in Nashville and gymnast Olivia Dunne joined the fashion.
She wrote ‘leave Miss Tuah out of this’ after a GIF of Welch appeared in the comments when she posted photos of herself in a bikini with her MLB star boyfriend, Paul Skenes.
Two other sports heroes have also joined the list. Philadelphia Phillies star slugger Bryce Harper went viral after appearing to reference the trend when he hit a double in a home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The images showed him making a fist and spitting, with the phrase Hawk Tuah. Then mixed martial arts hero Conor McGregor tweeted on X: “Have we located Hawk Tuah yet?”
Even his new deal with a local hat maker for caps emblazoned with his sex advice slogan is shrouded in an element of secrecy.
While Hawk Tuah girl Haliey Welch is ready to cash in, it seems like fame (some would say notoriety) is a challenge for her.
Welch achieved worldwide recognition after being asked for her advice on “driving a man crazy in bed” during a Nashville street video for Tim & Dee TV, which aired on June 19.
Meanwhile, Welch has signed a deal with fledgling local label Fathead Threads, whose owner Jason Poteete told DailyMail.com that he is making an initial batch of 2,000 hats and orders are coming in from all over the country.
His cell phone was constantly ringing when we visited his small manufacturing plant.
Poteete, who started his business in April with a machine that can produce six hats every 15 minutes, politely declined to divulge any personal information about his new customer, believed to have been born in 2004 and aged 19 or 20.
After signing the deal, he wrote on Facebook: “I was authorized to sell these hats after a conversation with Hailey (sic). She will receive a portion of the profits from the sales.
Chelsea Bradford, Welch’s close friend alongside her in the video, was equally reticent to talk about her friend and the night they were asked the explicit question while out partying.
He had previously written on Facebook “finally giving my girl the commission” about the hat deal.
His parents at the family home protectively responded to DailyMail.com’s questions.
Attempts to speak to Welch have been met with silence.
Since becoming an Internet sensation, Welch is working with Tennessee-based hat company Fathead Threads to sell her own line of hats.
Welch sells two different types of hats with the phrase written on them, one with a leather patch and another with embroidery.
Chelsea Bradford (left) has been identified as the friend standing next to Welch in the video.
This week, she was holed up in her family home and sources have said the attention created by the phenomenal response to Hawk Tuah is making her nervous, despite the money-making opportunities.
And other signs that the internet sensation may be feeling the strain include a post on a Facebook account recently created by Haliey Welch that reads “#hawktuah but I need some peace.”
Several fake accounts have emerged on social media, all misspelling her name as Hailey, and there is no confirmation that this one is genuine.
However, her name is spelled correctly and includes a photo of Welch with Poteete and others with friends, including Chelsea. All of the friends’ photos were posted in the past few days, but there is no indication of when they were actually taken.
Amid the frenzy, rumors about major Hollywood talent agencies vying for her have been gaining pace, but again without any proof.
Welch has reportedly already signed with United Talent Agency, which represents Kevin Hart, according to the New York Post.
Hours after that story appeared, entertainment news website TMZ took it down. There is also unsubstantiated talk that Donald Trump’s former literary agent, Byrd Leavell, was interested in hiring her.
However, despite all the rumors, misinformation and wild speculation, a source in Lewisburg told DailyMail.com that Welch has sought the help of a lawyer to negotiate the next minefield in an attempt to capitalize as much as possible.
There is a lot to chase. A social media meme shows an image of two men wearing hockey jerseys with their slogan on the back and the caption: “This city is ALIVE.”
Others portray Welch’s face replacing skater and businessman Tony Hawk on the cover of his Playstation game, while another edited it into a scene from The Lion King, with the legend “Hawk Tuah Matata.”
And there are several non-Welch-backed caps for sale online, some for as little as $14.99.
However, while much of the internet has gone crazy over ‘Hawkgirl Tuah’, the crude advice hasn’t garnered a 100 percent fan base. Shock jock Howard Stern has called her “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
The 70-year-old radio host said on his SiriusXM show: ‘As a father of three girls, every parent’s worst nightmare is seeing her on Instagram saying ‘yeah, you gotta hawk tuah on that fucking shit.’ thing.’
He said he had seen Welch’s video all over Instagram despite not using the app frequently. “I’m not on Instagram much, but that tuah hawk girl is everywhere,” she added.
‘I think if I look at it, the reason people like it so much is because the girl is so uninhibited and it’s so natural when she says it. It’s like she didn’t even think about (it).’