Hailey Welch, widely recognized as the “Hawk Tuah” girl, has finally opened up about the chaos that followed her involvement with the HAWK memecoin rollout last year.
What started as a hyped launch quickly turned into a mess. The token shot up to a valuation close to $490 million shortly after going live, only to crash within hours, wiping out most of its value and dropping to roughly $41 million the next day. Many labeled it a classic rug pull, leaving investors frustrated and confused.
Welch had promoted the project publicly, but insists she wasn’t involved behind the scenes. According to her, she had no control over how the token was structured or managed. While she estimates total losses were relatively small overall, the reaction she faced online was anything but.
“I was starting to get death threats and everything else. People telling me I owe them all this money, and I’m like, ‘I didn’t do this,”
Even after cooperating with an FBI investigation that cleared her of any wrongdoing, the backlash didn’t slow down. The situation pushed her away from social media for a while as she dealt with the pressure and negativity.
A lawsuit later targeted the team responsible for launching the token, accusing them of selling unregistered securities. Welch wasn’t included in the case, but that didn’t stop critics from pointing fingers.
Some voices in the space were harsh. Onchain investigator ZachXBT called out her role, arguing she ignored warnings and promoted the Memecoin anyway before stepping away as things unraveled.
For Welch, the experience seems to have been less about financial damage and more about the personal toll that came with it.
Disclaimer: This content does not constitute trading or investment recommendations. It’s essential to conduct your own research before purchasing any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.
