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Journalist
Hassan Shittu
Journalist
Hassan Shittu
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Haliey Welch, widely recognized as the “Hawk Tuah Girl” due to her viral online persona and the popularity of her podcast, Talk Tuah, has responded publicly to the ongoing controversy surrounding the $HAWK memecoin following a lawsuit filing.
The influencer issued a statement addressing her fans, investors, and the broader crypto community as she faced backlash and legal scrutiny after $HAWK’s dramatic 90% crash and investors losing over $151,000.
Welch emphasized her commitment to cooperating fully with legal representatives and uncovering the truth behind the project’s alleged fraudulent practices.
Public Apology After Lawsuit: Can Hawk Tuah Girl Repair Damages?
In a tweet shared with her followers, Welch expressed regret over the incident and pledged her assistance in the investigation.
Welch’s legal team also contacted Cryptonews to reiterate her stance and provide additional details.
In their statement, they emphasized that Welch was not involved in the technical or financial aspects of the $HAWK token’s deployment.
Welch’s legal team said:
“Haliey Welch did not spearhead or create this project. She simply received a sponsorship fee for lending her persona to those who created and deployed the memecoin.”
They further clarified that her role was confined to promotional activities under a fixed-term agreement and that she had no knowledge of the alleged market manipulation tactics used by the project creators.
“Outside of the initial fixed fee, there was no guarantee she would make additional money from the memecoin thereafter.”
The Context Behind the $HAWK Lawsuit
The $HAWK token was launched in early December and was promoted heavily by Welch.
It initially reached a market capitalization of $490 million before collapsing by 93% shortly after its debut.
Allegations of a rug pull quickly surfaced, prompting Burwick Law to file a federal lawsuit on behalf of 12 U.S.-based plaintiffs who collectively lost $151,000.
The lawsuit names Alex Larson Schultz (a.k.a. Doc Hollywood), OverHere Limited, Clinton So, and Tuah the Moon Foundation as defendants.
Welch herself is not named in the lawsuit but faces criticism for her involvement in endorsing the project.
Blockchain analysis revealed that over 96% of the token supply was concentrated in connected wallets, some of which were involved in significant sell-offs.
These actions sparked outrage among investors, many new to cryptocurrency and heavily influenced by Welch’s public endorsement.
Social media exploded with accusations and tales of financial devastation from investors who placed their trust in the project.
Welch has maintained that her involvement in the $HAWK project was limited to a promotional agreement, wherein she was compensated for promoting the token on her platforms.
Her legal representatives assert that she had no visibility into the project’s internal operations or the tokenomics and that the red flags—such as centralized wallet distributions—were neither disclosed nor apparent to her during the agreement.
“Due to her limited role, Haliey was completely siloed from this project and had zero control over it.”
They further asserted that Welch was the victim of poor advice and exploitation by the company, which sought to capitalize on her viral success.
Despite the controversy, Welch’s team is working to repair her public image.
Welch’s statement suggests a commitment to clearing her name and moving forward in her career.
Meanwhile, Burwick Law continues to build its case, encouraging affected investors to come forward.
