Haliey Welch, better known as the “Hawk Tuah girl,” has finally broken her silence after weeks of avoiding the spotlight. She became embroiled in controversy when the $HAWK token—a cryptocurrency she promoted—collapsed, wiping out millions in investments.
In a leaked podcast episode with FaZe Banks, Welch got emotional, admitting she felt terrible for those affected. She claimed she had trusted the wrong people, calling her biggest mistake relying on a “friend of a friend” to handle the crypto project. She also said she became suspicious of him on launch day but didn’t act in time.
?LEAKED?
— Nick O’Neill (@chooserich) February 6, 2025
Full @HalieyWelchX Talk Tuah Episode with @Banks
Hawk Tuah finally wakes up!
00:00 INTRO
00:40 HALIEY MESSED UP
2:26 HALIEY’S OFFICIAL STATEMENT
4:00 ALL OF HALIEY’S INCOME FROM THIS EP IS GOING TO ANIMAL CHARITIES
5:00 BEHIND THE SCENES OF $HAWK COIN LAUNCH… pic.twitter.com/PZpbREnQng
The $HAWK token initially surged to a $490 million valuation before crashing by over 90%, leading to lawsuits against its creators. While Welch wasn’t named in any legal action, she faced heavy backlash online, with many accusing her of scamming fans.
So in an attempt to hear Haliey Welch’s side of the Crypto scam story, I agreed to do her first podcast back.
— FaZe Banks (@Banks) February 6, 2025
I had heavy stipulations including;
1) Not allowing markets to be manipulated by leaking this episodes existence before a resolution was found.
2) Her team finding… pic.twitter.com/X3TW5nZmtR
Banks later criticized Welch’s team for leaking the podcast before agreed-upon conditions were met. He urged her to “fire everybody,” suggesting mismanagement played a role in the scandal.
Despite the fallout, Welch appears to be trying to move forward. Whether she can rebuild her reputation remains to be seen, but this marks her first real attempt to address the controversy head-on.
