Haliey Welch, who became an internet sensation overnight as the ‘Hawk Tuah Girl’, sat down with Rolling Stone for her first big interview, published on July 11, 2024. The magazine followed Welch’s rise to fame and her future plans after her uniquely coined phrase overtook the internet in a matter of days.
However, Rolling Stone calling her a “National Hero” on par with the likes of Dolly Parton did not sit well with many people online. Welch’s comments section on her newly opened Instagram page turned from positive to negative, with one person commenting:
More people piled on the negative comments, adding that she did not deserve the title of “national hero” for saying “Hawk Tuah.”
“National Hero? The woman describing a s*x act on the internet is now a role model… checks out.”
“National hero? That is a bit much when yall are so proud of your brother’s and sister’s deaths in war….when she starts influencing people to get their standards and morals back and influence them to help with charities,feed the homeless….help the homeless shelters,orphanages,schools etc then she can be called a national hero.”
“The internet makes anyone famous, how comically pathetic.”
But a few comments were positive, adding that the Hawk Tuah Girl seemed sweet and genuine.
“Being a hater is one of my great joys in life but I haven’t yet found a reason to hate this lady. Just seems like a sweet girl who accidentally struck gold.”
“She turned a pissy angry shame filled internet and gave us all a breath of fresh air.”
“I love seeing all the jealous haters that continue to say all she has is 15 minutes of fame!! It’s going to be one of the longest 15 minutes of your life watch this girl completely blow up and make millions of dollars while you sit there hating and miserable jealousy is an awful thing.”
Haliey Welch, aka Hawk Tuah Girl’s plans for the future
Haliey Welch comes from the small town of Belfast, Tennessee, with a population of 700 people. She experienced many new things after the ‘Hawk Tuah’ phenomenon, from flying in a plane for the first time to judging a bikini contest at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Fort Lauderdale.
Welch elaborated on her personal life during her interview with Rolling Stone, sharing that she was raised by her paternal grandmother, whom she still lives with. As for her parents, she added that she is not in touch with her mother but meets her father regularly.
The 21-year-old also rejoined Instagram after six months of being offline, already gaining 1.3 million followers at the time of this article. She hired a manager and a publicist and is reportedly signed to the Penthouse, a management company. She also gained financially as a result of ‘Hawk Tuah’ going viral, having sold $65,000 worth of merchandise hats with her iconic phrase etched on them.
Haliey Welch, who previously worked at a spring factory, admitted during her Rolling Stone interview that she was unsure what she wanted to do with her newfound fame, however, she added that she liked podcasting and had vaguely thought about going into the comedy business.
“I want to do something that actually matters and make a difference. That’s what the world needs,” she said.
For the unversed, Haliey Welch, aka the Hawk Tuah Girl, took the internet by storm in June because of her answer to the question, “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?”
“Oh, you have got to give it that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang, you get me?” was Welch’s answer.
The onomatopoeic answer went viral online and was widely quoted on social media during the following weeks, inspiring several memes.
