Pop Culture

Haliey 'Hawk Tuah' Welch Files Trademarks for Apparel and Comedy

The viral star behind the "spit on that thang" clip is looking to capitalize on her newfound fame.

A woman in a straw cowboy hat and casual clothing smiles while sitting at a microphone during a recording session. A "Zach Bryan" sign is visible in the background
Plan Bri Uncut on YouTube

It seems like Haliey Welch, the woman who went viral for her "hawk tuah" comments in an on-the-street interview, is looking to pursue a career in comedy.

As reported by TMZ, 21-year-old Welch is capitalizing on the success of the hugely viral "hawk tuah, spit on that thang" clip by filing a trademark for apparel and entertainment services. She's filed for the rights of "Hawk Tauh" with the purpose of selling her own merch, and potentially pursuing a career in live comedy shows and comedy podcasts. She made the filing under her recently established company 16 Minutes, LLC, which itself is a joke about the phrase "15 minutes of fame."

In the clip, which has been shared relentlessly ever since it went viral last month, Welch was asked to name the "one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time," to which she responded, "Oh, you gotta give him that hawk tuah and spit on that thang." Shortly after the clip blew up, it was falsely reported that she signed a deal with United Talent Agency. In reality, she's signed a deal with management firm The Penthouse.

Sources close to Penthouse have revealed that they've already been working on shutting down all the merch capitalizing on the viral clip and that she plans to drop her line of merch shortly.

In her first interview since gaining fame, Welch spoke with Brianna Lapaglia for the Plan Bri Uncut podcast. "He only told us he was a YouTuber," Welch said of being approached for the Tim & Dee TV-shared video. "He never said anything about Instagram, TikTok, nothing of the sort. So I was like, oh well, I’m never gon’ see this again. Sure enough, I seen it again."

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She said that she saw the clip just days after it went online and she "shit a brick" when she saw it. As for what her parents think of her newfound fame, she said they're supportive. "They think it’s so funny," she said. "They know how I am though, because you can never tell what comes out of my mouth. I mean, it’s a hit or a miss, what comes out of my mouth. I just talk out of my ass. The one time I say something like that, of course, there’s a camera in my face."

She has since quit her job working at a factory, so she's definitely committing to whatever opportunities the clip has offered her. Just recently, Welch was brought onstage by Shaquille O'Neal, for instance.

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