‘Hawk Tuah’ girl Haliey Welch gained global fame offering up some salacious sex tips on the streets of Nashville in a now-viral video – but according to her new management team, the 23 year old has proven that she’s got more than 15 minutes of fame.
That off-the-cuff interview has spurred a lucrative career for the Tennessee native, who has since signed with management company The Penthouse – which is now helping her to book appearances that are earning her a staggering $20,000 each, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
According to Jonnie Forster, the founder of The Penthouse, the management team have been working ‘around the clock’ to align Haliey with the right projects for her blossoming career – and it’s all carefully thought out.
‘We’ve been offered millions of dollars in deals that would be for adult-themed appearances, sponsorships, obviously OnlyFans, and that’s not who she is,’ Jonnie told THR.
‘She was just featured on Rolling Stone’s website, and they basically call her Gen Z’s Dolly Parton,’ he added.
Haliey Welch, known as the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl, gained global fame after a video of her giving sex tips on the streets of Nashville went viral
While Hawk Tuah girl Haliey Welch is poised to cash in, it appears she’s finding fame – some might say notoriety – challenging to handle
The famed Tennessee woman has even been asked to appear on American Idol after singing at a Zach Bryan show – although Jonnie says he was quick to shut that down.
‘They saw her sing on the Zach Bryan stage. In the email was, “We saw her sing at the Zach Bryan show, and she had such an amazing voice. We’d love to see how we can get her on the show,”‘ he recalled.
‘I emailed back, “She can’t sing at all. Did you even watch the performance? Because she couldn’t carry a tune in a bag,”‘ he continued.
‘But she’s not singing, and she doesn’t want to take jobs away from people who are talented in those regards,’ he said.
Jonnie’s management team traveled to her hometown of Belfast, Tennessee after they signed Haliey and immediately sprung to action.
They licensed merchandise for her iconic catchphrase, flagged fake accounts that had popped up after she went viral, and sifting through the lucrative deals.
‘I think she’s different than anyone else that’s come before her is, she didn’t seek this out,’ Jonnie gushed.
‘She was off social media for six months for mental health reasons. She would never be back on social media if it wasn’t for that night on Broadway,’ the talent manager added.
‘She had to go back on there and say, “Hey, those people are impersonating me.”’
Even her freshly-minted deal with a local hat maker for caps emblazoned with her sex-advice catchphrase is shrouded in an element of secrecy
She has done several interviews with publications, an onstage at a Zach Bryan concert and even given career advice from Shaquille O’Neal
Haliey has been offered a variety of career opportunities, including a reality TV series, podcast, book and even a tour of Europe – however, Jonnie says they’ve been selective with what they’re moving forward with.
‘She’s not an actress. We’ve turned down a number of movie offers, including several horror movies,’ Jonnie explained.
‘She’s not a professional actress. She’s funny. Her lane’s going to be doing comedic things and potentially doing something down the road in that way,’ he said.
Jonnie continued: ‘We are looking at launching a podcast with her, which is going to be in her comedic tone, but also very relatable and very authentic to who she is as a small-town girl.’
There’s even a possibility of seeing Hawk Tuah on a world tour, with Haliey never having flown on a plane before finding virality.
‘There are a couple different ideas. We’ll be sitting down with a couple of the showrunners that have already had calls with us and flesh that out,’ he said.
Haliey was reportedly paid $20,000 for her first paid live appearance at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, although TMZ reported he was paid closer to $30,000.
She has done several interviews with publications, an onstage at a Zach Bryan concert and even given career advice from Shaquille O’Neal.
‘Her 15 minutes are up. She’s already on 16,’ Jonnie said passionately.
