“Hawk tuah girl” update: viral Nashville woman links up with another celebrity

Hailey Welch, the Nashville woman whose X-rated street interview saw her become an internet sensation last month, has made another cameo appearance alongside a celebrity figure.

Welch meets NBA great at Bon Jovi venue

Better known to the world as “hawk tuah girl”, Welch was on Sunday pictured partying with basketball legend-turned-DJ Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal, who performs under the name “DJ Diesel”, was in Nashville to play a music set at JBJ’s Nashville, a bar and restaurant owned by rock icon Jon Bon Jovi.

Welch was seen joining O’Neal at the decks, where the four-time NBA champion held out his microphone for her to repeat her viral phrase “hawk tuah”, to the delight of fellow revellers.

“Guess who I found in Nashville…”

Shaq and Welch “chatted it up at the eatery and posed for some pictures,” TMZ revealed, adding: “The two were obviously big fans of one another”. Later, the former NBA MVP - who is also a prominent basketball pundit - took to social media to share photos of himself with “hawk tuah girl”, writing: “Guess who I found in Nashville…”

“Hawk tuah girl” makes Zach Bryan cameo

Welch’s meet-up with O’Neal came a day after she was invited on stage at country singer Zach Bryan’s Nashville concert. Videos shared by social-media users showed Welch joining Bryan at the microphone at Nissan Stadium, for a rendition of his song “Revival”.

Who is “hawk tuah girl”?

Welch went viral after appearing in a series of interviews conducted on the streets of Nashville by the content creators Tim and Dee TV. Asked to name “one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time”, she responded: “Oh, you’ve got to give it that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thing, you get me?”

As she said “hawk tuah”, she illustrated the meaning of the onomatopoeic term by mimicking the action of collecting saliva and spitting it out.

Welch’s viral phrase has been the inspiration for a whole host of internet memes, has spawned remix tracks, and has been referenced in sports stars’ in-game celebrations.

Watch - Full “hawk tuah” interview:

Welch cashes in with “hawk tuah” merchandise

In a bid to capitalise on her sudden fame, she has seemingly signed a merchandising agreement with the Tennessee company Fathead Threads, which appears to be selling a range of items - including hats and T-shirts - with “hawk tuah” emblazoned on them.

The owner of Fathead Threads, Jason Poteete, last week told Rolling Stone magazine that some 2,000 “hawk tuah” hats had already been sold, bringing in around $65,000.