Hailey Welch: Hawk Tuah Girl’s Rise, Fall, and Where She Is Now

Few internet moments explode as fast as the Hawk Tuah clip from July 2024. Within days, Hailey Welch—the woman behind the meme—went from an anonymous face on Channel 5 to a household name, launching a podcast and building millions of followers. But the fairy tale soured when a cryptocurrency token tied to her brand collapsed, drawing lawsuits and even the FBI to her doorstep. Here’s what we actually know about her rise, her fall, and where she stands now.

Instagram followers: 2 million ·
TikTok followers: 1.7 million ·
TikTok likes: 20.2 million ·
YouTube interview views: 1.3 million

Six key details paint a fuller picture of the woman behind the meme.

What has happened to Hailey Welch?

Hailey Welch became famous almost overnight after a street interview by Channel 5 (YouTube interviewer) in July 2024. Her phrase “hawk tuah” turned into a global meme. She quickly launched the Talk Tuah podcast and amassed millions of social media followers. But the momentum broke in December 2024, when she promoted a cryptocurrency token called $HAWK.

The token briefly hit a market capitalization of roughly $500 million, then crashed to about $25 million within 24 hours, according to Forbes (business news outlet). Investors accused the project of being an unregistered securities offering. A federal class action, Rodriguez Mena v. Schultz et al., was filed in the Eastern District of New York. Welch herself was not named as a defendant, but the fallout was severe enough that she said FBI agents knocked on her grandmother’s door (Forbes).

Where is Haliey Welch now?

Welch has not publicly disclosed her current location. Her social media accounts—Instagram and TikTok under @hay_welch—remain online with sporadic posts. The podcast Talk Tuah has not released new episodes since early 2025. She has not announced a permanent departure from content creation but appears to be keeping a low profile.

The pattern: viral fame offers a narrow window for monetization, and a single misstep can erase it.

How old is Haliey Welch?

Welch’s age is reported as 22 as of 2025. No official birth certificate or verified document has been published, but multiple news outlets cite her as 22. Her exact birth date remains unconfirmed.

Is Hailey Welch single now?

Her relationship status is not publicly confirmed. She has not commented on a current partner. The “Pookie” figure mentioned in the meme’s context has not been identified or verified as a real person.

Is Hailey Welch a smoker?

There is no credible evidence that she smokes. No verified photos or statements support the claim.

The implication: Personal details about Welch remain scarce because she never built a large personal brand beyond the meme. The lack of confirmation feeds online speculation rather than fact.

What is Haley Welch’s net worth?

No verified net worth figure is publicly available. She earned money from brand deals, the Talk Tuah podcast, and possibly the $HAWK token promotion. However, the crypto controversy likely disrupted or ended many of those income streams. According to The Block (crypto news site), some investors claimed combined losses of roughly $151,000 in the initial litigation. Welch has stated (via Forbes) that she was cleared by the FBI and SEC, but that does not address the financial aftermath.

Is Hailey Welch still making money?

She likely still earns residual income from existing social media posts and past brand deals, but the pace of new collaborations appears to have slowed. Without a new podcast deal or active sponsorships, her income is probably a fraction of what it was at the peak in late 2024.

What this means: without public trust, income streams tied to personal branding become fragile.

Why did Hailey Welch get canceled?

The cancellation stemmed from the $HAWK memecoin launch on December 4, 2024. The token’s value plummeted by roughly 90% or more, as reported by Wolf Popper LLP (law firm representing investors). Critics accused Welch and the project team of operating a “rug pull”—a fraudulent scheme where creators cash out while investors lose. Welch denied intentional wrongdoing, telling Forbes that the FBI and SEC had cleared her. However, the civil lawsuit continues, with Wolf Popper LLP and Burwick Law appointed co-lead counsel on April 23, 2025 (Wolf Popper LLP).

The trade-off: Welch’s viral fame gave her a platform to profit from a cryptocurrency launch, but the lack of regulatory guardrails—or her own due diligence—turned that opportunity into a reputation-destroying event.

Is Hawk Tuah still doing a podcast?

The podcast Talk Tuah is no longer releasing new episodes as of early 2025. The show’s social media accounts have gone quiet. Welch has not officially cancelled the podcast, but the hiatus suggests she is prioritizing other matters—most likely the legal fallout.

Is Talk Tuah over?

No formal announcement has been made. The indefinite pause, combined with the controversy, makes a return unlikely in the near term.

Is Hawk Tuah still with Pookie?

No public information confirms a relationship with anyone named “Pookie.” The meme reference appears to be a joke from the original interview, not a real person.

Why this matters: The podcast was Welch’s main income and relevance vehicle. Without it, she loses the primary channel to sustain her brand beyond the meme.

“The FBI knocked on my grandmother’s door. They cleared me of any wrongdoing.”

— Hailey Welch, as reported by Forbes

“The token was sold without proper registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, constituting an unregistered securities offering.”

— Class action complaint, via Wolf Popper LLP

For Welch, the choice between returning to content creation or retreating permanently is complicated by active litigation and a tarnished brand. For the investors who lost money on $HAWK, the legal path forward is through the class action, but individual recovery remains uncertain. For the rest of the internet, the Hawk Tuah story is a cautionary tale about how fast viral fame can flip from gold mine to liability.

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Related reading: Hailey Welch: Hawk Tuah Girl’s Rise, Fall & Lawsuit · Hailey Welch: Hawk Tuah Fame, Net Worth, and Scandal