Hailey Welch, known to the crypto industry as the Hawk Tuah girl has come out to address her fans after her soiled reputation related to the meme coin fallout. The message is coming after a $490 million lawsuit filed against creators of the $HAWK meme coin. Welch has said she is focused on clearing her name and rebuilding her career.
The controversy resulted from the meme coin’s staggering crash, leading to a lawsuit in which plaintiffs alleged improper asset registration. At the time, Welch was involved with the token, doing a series of promotions for the $HAWK meme coin. However, the lawsuit did not include the Hawk Tuah girl as one of the defendants, listing OverHere Ltd and its founder Clinton So, Tuah The Moon Foundation, and influencer Alex Larson Schultz.
Hawk Tuah girl plans to rebuild her career
In the filing, the plaintiffs alleged that the defendants illegally listed the token without prior registration. This means that they knowingly put investors and the general public in harm by not vetting the token through the proper channels. However, a source close to Welch has disclosed that she is upbeat about getting her life back on track. “Hailey understands how her unexpected start in the industry comes across, but since achieving virality, she’s proven she has the star power to lead a successful career,” the source said.
I take this situation extremely seriously and want to address my fans, the investors who have been affected, and the broader community. I am fully cooperating with and am committed to assisting the legal team representing the individuals impacted, as well as to help uncover the…
— Haliey Welch (@HalieyWelchX) December 20, 2024
In her post on X, Welch noted that she took the issues seriously, saying addressing fans and the general public is the right thing to do. “I take this situation extremely seriously and want to address my fans, the investors who have been affected, and the broader community,” she said. She also added that she is offering help to those affected to uncover the truth, which would help her rebuild her reputation.
Welch also provided a link to a form that investors affected by the crash can fill. The link leads to the website of Burwick Law, a crypto litigator representing all the parties suing the creators of the meme coin. According to the source, Welch played a limited role in the creation and promotion of the memecoin. She was paid to endorse and speak about the token because of her social media status and persona.
The crypto community reacts to Welch’s statement
According to the lawsuit, the $HAWK meme coin climbed high, with its market cap hitting $490 million. However, trouble started after the token lost 90% of its total value four hours later. The plaintiffs also alleged that the group raised $2.8 million in a presale, which took its valuation to $16 million. The plaintiffs want $150,000 in damages, noting that the coin was illegally promoted with its creators making little effort to restrict its sale outside the United States.
However, the crypto community did not take the statement lying down, as most people took to their handles to show how they felt. For most of them, it was a case of ‘I told you so’, after several warnings. Blockchain sleuth ZachXBT shared a screenshot where a user was warning the community about an upcoming Hawk Tuah girl meme coin. “Only if you were warned by the entire community before launching the token,” he added.
Other crypto community members also showed their displeasure, especially at traders who thought it would be a good idea to purchase the token. One user mentioned that Welch deserved the same treatment as the creators, noting that she promoted it and was involved in it. He said she was just trying to distance herself because the token crashed. Although Welch has tried to distance herself from the scheme since it crashed, the community members are not convinced.
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