Internet personality Haliey Welch, famously known as “Hawk Tuah Girl,” has returned to the public eye with a new episode of her Talk Tuah podcast—the first since December 2024.
Her absence followed the controversial launch and swift collapse of the Solana-based meme token HAWK.
The token, which Welch publicly endorsed, reached a market capitalization of $490 million before losing 93% of its value in a matter of minutes.
Community Backlash Forced Welch Offline
The fallout triggered a wave of criticism and led Welch to briefly step away from social media. A short-lived podcast episode released in February was quickly removed.
Opening the episode, Welch greeted her audience with, “It’s been a hot minute since we’ve been back here,” signaling the end of a months-long hiatus.
Welch’s return featured YouTube star KSI—real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji—as her first guest.
Both Welch and KSI have faced past controversies surrounding cryptocurrency promotions, though they refrained from directly discussing those issues in the episode.
Instead, the conversation focused on navigating the pressures of internet fame and public scrutiny.
“I’ve had my ups and my downs—and my dooooooowns,” KSI remarked. “You’ve got to roll with the punches and stay consistent. People in this industry will use and abuse you.” Welch replied, “I found that out the hard way.”
KSI, who was previously accused of offloading tokens like XCAD Network and Ethernity Chain after promotion—claims he has denied—added that public criticism is “just noise.”
While Welch is not named in the ongoing civil lawsuit related to the HAWK token, she has cooperated with authorities.
A past investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission has since concluded.
The legal case now targets the coin’s launch platform overHERE, founder Clinton So, influencer Alex “Doc Hollywood” Schultz, and the Tuah the Moon Foundation.
Coffeezilla Debunks $500M Rug Pull Claims in Hawk Tuah Coin Controversy
Following the Hawk Tuah meme coin collapse, YouTube investigator Stephen Findeisen, better known as “Coffeezilla,” pushed back against some misinformation surrounding Welch and the launch of her memecoin, HAWK.
Taking to X, he criticized sensational headlines suggesting Welch orchestrated a $500 million rug pull or profited $50 million from the token’s collapse, calling them exaggerated and false.
According to Coffeezilla, the HAWK team “presold a few million” tokens to strategic advisors who allegedly sold early, contributing to the token’s volatility.
He clarified that the “exact amount” of funds generated is still unknown but noted Welch’s lawyer has stated she received $125,000, with her tokens locked for a year.
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