Haliey Welch, also known as the "Hawk Tuah" girl, rose to fame in June 2024 after making a crude remark during a street interview that quickly became a viral meme on social media. She quickly took advantage of her sudden popularity by launching merchandise, appearing on various podcasts—including Bill Maher’s Club Random Podcast and Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe—and even throwing the first pitch at a New York Mets game. She then launched her own podcast in early September called Talk Tuah, under Jake Paul's company, Betr. Some of the more notable guests on her podcast have included JoJo Siwa, Mark Cuban, and Whitney Cummings. Welch then launched her cryptocurrency, $HAWK, in December 2024. It surged to nearly $500 million before plummeting to $25 million in less than 24 hours. This caused chaos for investors, leading many to believe it was a "pump-and-dump" scheme. Shortly after, she disappeared, going on a hiatus that lasted four months, only recently announcing the relaunch of her podcast.
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| Image Credit: Dexerto |
The Sixteenth Minute (of Fame), hosted by Jamie Loftus, goes into a deep dive into the whole crypto scandal and Welch's involvement. Jamie provides a basic understanding of what cryptocurrency is and how it works. She then explains the $HAWK coin disaster and the ongoing lawsuits that followed. Jamie explains how the cryptocurrency was targeted at a naive audience with little knowledge of crypto, while Welch and her team were aiming to profit heavily, leaving the unsuspecting investors behind. Jamie then explains how Welch's publicist revealed that she was paid $125,000 to promote the coin and had little involvement with the crypto team. It is then stated that only the crypto team is involved in the lawsuit, and not Haliey Welch.
Based on the information given it appears that Welch had been giving out misinformation to her followers. According to Brian Carrols in Writing and Editing for Digital Media, misinformation is simply false information. Similarly, disinformation refers to the intentional spread of false information designed to influence opinions. "Both misinformation and disinformation thrive on anxiety and fear," a dynamic clearly illustrated by this cryptocurrency debacle. Based on Jamie Loftus's podcast episode, it appears that the crypto team was responsible for spreading disinformation, while Welch, who lacked a clear understanding of cryptocurrency, unknowingly spread misinformation.
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| Image Credit: Yahoo |
People Magazine published an article about the controversy involving Welch, stating that the cryptocurrency was never officially registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). With this information, along with the millions of dollars investors lost in the crypto scam, Welch's credibility has been significantly damaged. As Carrol notes, credibility "can give interactors confidence and engender trust," which is crucial when wielding influence. Now that Welch has started to make her reappearance, she will never regain the same level of trust from her audience.
Carrol emphasizes the importance of accountability—an aspect that Welch has yet to demonstrate. Taking responsibility is a crucial step toward regaining some of the trust that was lost during the crypto scandal. As Welch reemerges, she must be transparent with her audience and take accountability for her involvement in the crypto incident.
According to Fast Company's article, Haliey Welch is set to appear in a documentary exploring her rise and fall from fame. This has led some to question whether it's simply another money-making stunt or a genuine attempt to provide insight into what really happened with $HAWK.
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