Hailey Welch—better known to the world as the “Hawk Tuah” girl—has become a cautionary tale of what happens when viral fame and unchecked ambition collide, reminiscent of Icarus flying too close to the sun, only to fall victim to his own hubris. From a chance street interview to meme superstardom, Welch’s meteoric rise felt like the quintessential internet success story. Her trajectory echoed Andy Warhol’s famous observation that “in the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Welch herself joked that her fame would stretch to 16 minutes. Yet, as fate would have it, her extended moment in the sun has dimmed under the shadow of scandal, lawsuits, and public ire—all thanks to a now-infamous memecoin called $HAWK.

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