Hawk Tuah Girl Haliey Welch Breaks Silence: Did She Get Rug Pulled?
Infatuation with internet culture and cryptocurrencies often collide with sometimes disastrous results. This was strikingly evident in the tale of Haliey Welch, the viral "Hawk Tuah" star, whose foray into the world of memecoins ended in a public implosion and her own sudden disappearance. Now, Welch has resurfaced, issuing a statement that sheds some light on her alleged role in the $HAWK memecoin debacle.
The Fall of $HAWK
Welch, known for her catchy phrase and growing online presence, launched $HAWK, a memecoin based on her "Hawk Tuah" catchphrase. However, the launch, mirroring many celebrity-backed crypto projects, quickly unraveled in what many called a rug pull. This means the majority of the tokens, likely sold in a pre-sale, were quickly dumped by insiders, causing the coin’s value to plummet and leaving many investors, including Welch’s fans, with substantial losses.
Following the collapse, Welch went silent, vanishing from public view for over two weeks. This fueled speculation about her involvement and led to anxieties among her fans. Her popular podcast, "Talk Tuah", was also abruptly paused.
Welch’s Alleged Innocence
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter) and provided to Mashable, Welch claims she was only a brand ambassador for $HAWK, receiving a sponsorship fee for promoting the memecoin. Her involvement, she states, extended no further than lending her name and catchphrase to the project.
Further adding fuel to this narrative, a statement by OverHere, a cryptocurrency company with ties to $HAWK, placed the blame for the project’s failure squarely on music producer and crypto promoter Alex Larson Schultz alias Doc Hollywood. OverHere claims Schultz controlled all aspects of the token, including fees and treasury, effectively undermining Welch’s innocence plea.
Looking Forward
While Welch’s claim to be uninvolved might ring true to some, the #HAWK fallout raises crucial questions about the lack of transparency and due diligence often associated with celebrity-backed crypto projects. It also highlights the potential for exploitation in the online space, where influencers and those capitalizing on viral trends can be targeted.
Welch states her intention to resume her podcast soon, promising to address her involvement in $HAWK in detail.
Will she clear her name, or will this experience cast a shadow over her burgeoning online career? Only time will tell.
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