Hailey Welch - better known on social media as the 'Hawk Tuah Girl' - has revealed the surprising opportunities her newfound fame have afforded her.
Three weeks ago, the 21-year-old from Belfast, Tennessee, appeared in what she thought would be a harmless video for the YouTube channel Tim & Dee TV.
Admitting that she never expected to see anything from her interview again, she failed to calculate just how much social media users would fall in love with her no-nonsense attitude and charisma.
In the video in question, Welch has revealed that she had just attended the CMA Fest in Nashville when she was approached by the YouTubers to answer some questions.
That's when she was asked the fateful question: “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?”
To which, Welch responded with the instantly meme-able: "You gotta give ’em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang. You get me?"
The soundbite was immediately circulated across social media platforms, and Welch is now enjoying her newfound celebrity status, cemented with her first interview with Brianna LaPaglia on the Plan Bri Uncut podcast.
On the show, Welch addressed a number of persistent rumors that have circulated online since she went viral, and revealed what the response has been from others.
Firstly, she admitted that she was a little taken aback by how so many people rushed to find her on social media - before revealing that she deleted all of her social media accounts 6 months ago for "personal" reasons.
"They started spelling my name wrong and making accounts of me," she revealed. "They got pictures off all my friends' social media. It's kinda creepy, seeing you face on an account that doesn't belong to you."
But the obsession with Welch goes even creepier.
Welch confirmed that she has teamed up with Jason Poteete, the owner of Fathead Threads - a family-owned business based in Marshall County, Tennessee. They are now selling a series of 'Hawh Tuah' hats and are splitting the profits.
Poteete previously told Rolling Stone that he reached out to Welch after realizing that people were profiting from her without giving her "a dime".
"Nobody was asking permission for her to do nothing, neither. I just wanted her to get some profit off of this deal," he said.
But when LaPaglia asked Welch about "creepy" guys trying to get in contact with her, Welch revealed: "So, they guy who does my hats, he got offered, like, $600 three days ago for me to spit in a jar and sell it!"
"That is revolting," she added. "Like, that's just disgusting, is it not?"
Fortunately, Welch recognizes that most people just see the video as a hilarious meme... but she still plans on capitalizing on it.
Revealing that she now has a "full management team" behind her, Welch says they're "working" on getting her back on social media, and she now plans on going to LA and New York.
"I think we're gonna do like a show," she said, promising that there's "more to come".
Elsewhere in the interview, Welch revealed that her family do see the "funny side" of the entire thing, as she also addressed several circulating rumors about her.
Addressing the widely circulated rumor that she was an elementary school teacher who was fired from her job over the video, Welch told the camera: "I worked in a spring factory - I'm not a school teacher!"
Of course, this rumor was sparked by the Facebook page Tippah County Tribune (TCT), which shared a satirical article about Welch's "firing" that many people took seriously.
"I'm not even old enough to be teacher," she added. Welch also confirmed that she wasn't a bartender, per another rumor.
Addressing another claim that her father was a local preacher deeply ashamed of her comments in the viral video, she added: "My father is so far from a preacher it's crazy [...] None of it's true, at all."
With all the rumors finally being cleared up, one thing's for sure - we cannot wait to see more of Hailey!
