You know that saying urging you not to make a fool of yourself? As it turns out, it is possible to profit from acting foolishly, as exemplified by the infamous Hawk Tuah Girl. The viral sensation has flipped the situation to her advantage, making thousands of dollars selling merch inspired by her unfiltered personality.
Hailey Welch, who made internet history earlier this month after advocating for spitting during oral sex, has teamed up with Fathead Threads, a Tennessee-based embroidery and apparel brand.
Despite “Hawk Tuah”-themed merch circulating on the internet, Fathead Threads is the only officially Hawk Tuah Girl-licensed Hawk Tuah merch vendor.
The brand is run by Jason Poteete, a Marshall County native who has known Hailey for years.
Hailey Welch, the infamous Hawk Tuah Girl, flipped the situation to her advantage
He told Rolling Stone that a day or two after the controversial interview started going viral, he reached out to Hailey to figure out a way to monetize her brand.
Jason explained: “Of course, she hasn’t gotten a dime from the first viral video that went out.
“Nobody was asking permission for her to do nothing, neither.
“I just wanted her to get some profit off of this deal.”
The businessman declined to share exactly what percentage of the proceeds Hailey was receiving, but he reportedly said he suggested she trademark the phrase and she has been in touch with a lawyer about it.
Jason said that Hailey was “overwhelmed” by the attention, and she had requested that he not share any personal details about her or feature her face on the merchandise.
He told Rolling Stone: “There are some crazy people in the world who’ve reached out to her.
“She’s probably one of the most well-known people in the world at this point.
“But I don’t know if she’s embraced it.”
She made thousands of dollars selling merch inspired by her unfiltered personality
Fathead Threads is exclusively selling “Hawk Tuah ’24” hats, which are currently available in 14 colors and selling for $32.78 each, Rolling Stone reported on Wednesday (June 26).
Moreover, a $50 signed version with a leather patch is currently sold out.
Jason has reportedly received interest from everyone from large-scale media networks to pro-wrestling promotion WWE.
Full Hawk Tuah interview for this who missed it pic.twitter.com/MJqhakS6Df
— TaraBull (@TaraBull808) June 26, 2024
The entrepreneur estimated that Fathead Threads had sold a little more than 2,000 hats, but he declined to share exactly how much the company had grossed on Hailey’s merch.
He reportedly said it was “pretty easy to do the math.” Considering the cheapest hat is $32.78, that comes out to, at the very least, $65,000.
Jason continued: “Our largest orders are usually 100 hats, maybe 150-250 shirts.
“This is way out of the normal for us.
“This is a small family-owned shop.
“We’re all hands on deck right now.”
Hailey teamed up with Fathead Threads, a Tennessee-based embroidery and apparel brand
Jason is now reportedly hopeful that Hailey will settle into her new level of viral fame in the end, as he said: “She may be in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time. [But] I think she’ll do fine in the end.”
The Southern lad admitted that Hailey was exactly like how she was depicted in the notable video, revealing: “She has a bubbly personality.
“She can be somewhat risque.
“You never know what she’s gonna say.
“I just think the world needed a laugh, and she provided that.”
As a result of Hailey’s instant fame, speculations that she had signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) quickly made rounds. However, the deal has since been debunked.
UTA, which reps everyone from Timothée Chalamet and Kevin Hart to Bad Bunny and Anderson Cooper, has not made the leap into repping Hawk Tuah Girl, TMZ reported on Wednesday.
Hailey became known as the Hawk Tuah Girl on June 11 after mimicking expectoration sounds and joking about fellatio during a street interview with YouTubers Tim & Dee TV.
“Hawk Tuah”-themed merch circulates online, but Fathead Threads is the only officially Hawk Tuah Girl-licensed Hawk Tuah merch vendor
During the much-talked-about video interview, the YouTubers asked Hailey, “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?”
Hailey responded in her now emblematic Southern accent: “Oh, you gotta give him that hawk tuah and spit on that thang.”
The woman’s response became an instant internet meme, sparking reactions from millions of people, including WWE wrestler Liv Morgan, who quoted her in a post shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Saturday (June 22).
Posing with her massive belt, Liv said: “I feel so good. I just gotta give this thing a hawk tuah.”
Over the past week, the clip has been referenced by other notable figures, including Joe Rogan, Howard Stern, and the Philadelphia Phillies’ first baseman Bryce Harper.
“She was just being her fun self,” a reader commented
