The Hawk Tuah girl has been all over social media recently, and it looks like she's capitalized on her newfound fame.
You've probably seen her, but if you haven't, The Hawk Tuah Girl is Hailey Welch, who shot to internet stardom following a man-on-the-street interview by creators Tim & Dee TV.
In the video, first shared on June 11, Welch was asked: “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?”
It was Welch's reply that has got people talking, as she said: "You gotta give ’em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang. You get me?"
This naturally comes with sexual connotations.
Overwhelmed by her sudden fame, Welch has chosen to remain private, avoiding the disclosure of personal details or featuring her face on merchandise associated with her viral catchphrase. Instead, she teamed up with Fathead Threads, a family-owned business in Marshall County, Tennessee, to capitalize on her newfound popularity.
Jason Poteete, the proprietor of Fathead Threads, explained his motivation to launch a line of merchandise for Welch: “Of course she hasn’t gotten a dime from the first viral video that went out. Nobody was asking permission for her to do nothing, neither. I just wanted her to get some profit off of this deal."
Poteete described Welch as potentially one of the most recognizable figures at the moment but added: "I don’t know if she’s embraced it," per Rolling Stone.
Fathead Threads is exclusively selling “Hawk Tuah ’24” hats, available in 14 colors for $32.78 each. A $50 signed version with a leather patch has already sold out. The hats have been a hit, with over 2,000 units sold, generating at least $65,000.
“This is way out of the normal for us. This is a small family-owned shop. We’re all hands on deck right now,” Poteete said, noting that their largest orders typically range from 100 hats to 150-250 shirts.
Poteete believes Welch’s bubbly and unpredictable personality resonated with people. “She has a bubbly personality. She can be somewhat risqué. You never know what she’s gonna say. I just think the world needed a laugh, and she provided that,” he said.
As Welch navigates her new-found fame, Poteete is optimistic about her future. “She may be in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time. [But] I think she’ll do fine in the end,” he concluded.
With her viral fame came rumors that Welch had lost her job due to the nature of her catchphrase.
These rumors were fueled by an article from the Tippah County Tribune (TCT), which claimed that Welch, identified as a teacher named Hailey Wellington at Epstein Day School, was forced to resign after students imitated her saying "spit on that thang."
However, Snopes clarified that TCT is a satirical publication, and the story was fictional. Welch did not lose her job over the viral video.
