Hawk Tuah Girl Breaks Silence on Crypto Collapse and Boyfriend’s Reaction
Haliey Welch, widely recognized as the “Hawk Tuah girl,” is finally addressing the fallout from her cryptocurrency venture, including its impact on her relationship.
For those unfamiliar, Welch skyrocketed to internet fame after a viral street interview where she made a bold joke. Capitalizing on her newfound popularity, she launched the Talk Tuah podcast and later introduced her own cryptocurrency, $HAWK.
Promoted as a way to connect with her audience, the memecoin initially saw massive success, surging to a staggering $490 million market cap within just hours. However, in a shocking turn, the value of $HAWK plummeted by 91% soon after, leaving many investors facing huge losses.
The dramatic collapse led to allegations of a “rug pull”, a fraudulent scheme where developers abandon a project after raising funds, leaving investors empty-handed. Furious buyers flooded social media with complaints, some even claiming they had lost their life savings and demanding legal action.
On December 19, a lawsuit was filed in a New York federal court against several entities behind $HAWK, including overHere Ltd., its founder Clinton So, social media figure Alex Larson Schultz, and the Tuah The Moon Foundation. They were accused of unlawfully promoting and selling unregistered cryptocurrency. Surprisingly, despite her involvement in promoting the token to millions of followers, Welch was not named as a defendant in the case.
Boyfriend’s Reaction to the Crypto Crash
Welch recently opened up about the controversy in an episode of Talk Tuah, featuring FaZe Clan founder Banks. The episode, which reportedly leaked online, includes Welch addressing her role in the debacle and revealing how her boyfriend, Kelby Blackwell, reacted to losing money in the crash.
“Pookie lost money too,” Welch admitted, referring to Blackwell’s online moniker.
She went on to share his response:
“He was like, ‘How you gonna take my money?’ He still gives me a hard time about it. He says, ‘I wish I had my $300 back.’”
Regrets and Reflection
During the conversation, Welch defended herself, stating that she was led to believe $HAWK was a long-term project that would revolutionize the crypto space.
“I genuinely feel bad for the people who were affected,” she said. “It just didn’t go how I expected.”
Reflecting on the experience, Welch admitted her biggest mistake was trusting someone introduced to her through mutual connections.
“I should’ve done more research on him,” she confessed.
She also recalled feeling uneasy on the day of the coin’s launch, noting that the individual behind the project was acting suspiciously.
Following the episode’s leak, Banks criticized Welch’s management team, blaming them for mishandling the situation.
“These were nonstarters, and we were told this episode would only be released with our approval,” Banks stated.
He also suggested that Welch reassess her team, adding, “Poor girl, it’s a wonder she ended up in this mess in the first place.”
