Hailey Welch, the viral sensation behind the “Hawk Tuah” catchphrase, has disappeared from the public eye—leaving her millions of fans wondering what happened.
The last episode of her hit podcast Talk Tuah aired on Dec. 3, and since then, Welch has gone silent. No updates on her social media, no new episodes of her popular podcast, and no word on her whereabouts. Her fans, who had been riding high on her meteoric rise, are now left puzzled and frustrated.
Welch’s sudden rise to fame seemed like a fairy tale. After her viral “Hawk Tuah” video exploded across the internet, Welch turned the catchphrase into a full-fledged brand. She launched merchandise and then, in September, a weekly podcast that soared to the top of the Spotify charts. Everything seemed to be falling into place for the influencer-turned-entrepreneur.
But things took a turn when Welch launched her own cryptocurrency—$HAWK, the Hawk Tuah memecoin—on Dec. 4. Initially, the coin soared in value, briefly reaching a market cap of hundreds of millions of dollars. However, within minutes, it collapsed, wiping out the investments of countless fans. Many speculated that insiders had dumped their tokens, profiting off the crash while leaving regular buyers to bear the losses.
Welch’s attempt to address the controversy only deepened the mystery. During a live audio stream on X (formerly Twitter) with her partners at OverHere, who helped launch the memecoin, Welch appeared to brush off the criticisms. “Hey guys! I hate to interrupt you, Nick, but hello there. Anywho, I’m gonna go to bed and I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” she casually remarked, before abruptly leaving the conversation. That was the last anyone heard from Welch.
Her sudden exit has sparked a mix of reactions online. Some are calling it a “career-ending move,” while others seem more sympathetic, jokingly referring to her as “Sleeping Beauty.” One user remarked, “Her career ended in the same year it started.”
But the saga of the $HAWK coin is far from over. While Welch remains silent, her crypto partners have made public statements, attempting to shift blame onto Alex Larson Schultz, known as “Doc Hollywood.” OverHere alleges that Schultz was in charge of key decisions related to the coin, including token distribution and financial management. Schultz, who is a music producer and the son-in-law of comedian Howie Mandel, has not yet commented on these accusations.
As Welch remains unreachable, the controversy continues to grow. On Dec. 7, investors who lost money in the $HAWK collapse filed a lawsuit, accusing the creators of selling unregistered securities.
For now, the public is left waiting—both for Welch’s next move and for the next chapter in the $HAWK memecoin disaster.
