As Haliey Welch makes her debut TV role, the ‘Hawk Tuah Girl‘ is speaking out amid backlash around her casting.
Following Brittney Rae Carrera’s viral video claiming Welch replaced her in a scene from the pilot episode of Hulu‘s Chad Powers, the social media influencer said she has reached out to the actress personally.
“Hey guys I’ve been tagged in a lot of videos of [Carrera] saying I ‘replaced her’ in Chad Powers,” said Welch in a since-expired Instagram Story. “I’ve been in contact with her and we’re cool. I wasn’t aware the role had been filled prior.
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“It was as simple as this: I was called and asked to be in a tv series with Glen Powell and I said yes (bc duh it’s Glen Powell). I wasn’t made aware this was happening and it was in no way malicious at all. I actually love her content and think she is a funny and sweet girl,” she added.
In the debut episode, Glen Powell‘s titular disgraced football player walks into the VIP section of a nightclub, where Welch is sitting. “Oh shit! The fucking ‘Hawk Tuah Girl’ is here. ‘Hawk tuah! Spit on that thang,’” he yelled, quoting the TikTok star’s infamous catchphrase.
“My name’s Haliey, dickhead,” she responds, before Chad refers to her as Hailey Tuah. “Welch! Haliey Welch is my full human name.”
Welch later tells him, “Please don’t tell people we met.”
In Carrera’s video, she paused the scene during a viewing party with friends. “They replaced me with ‘Hawk Tuah’?!” she yells. “That’s my scene… this is literally my scene. I filmed this.”
Although Deadline can confirm that Carrera was originally cast in the part, reshoots are common in film and television, especially for pilots. While she has a large following and is known for posting comedic content, it’s unclear if the video was of her genuine reaction or a self-deprecating bit.
After going viral in June 2024 with a video in Nashville, uttering her signature catchphrase, Welch quickly found representation with The Penthouse management, having since launched her Talk Tuah podcast and announced the upcoming DocTuah documentary about her sudden rise to fame.