Why Is Everybody Talking About the Hawk Tuah Girl?

Over the past few days, social media has been set ablaze thanks to a viral on-the-street interview with a young woman with a particular favorite sex move. The initial video, posted by creator duo Tim and Dee TV on June 11, captures a young woman, named Haliey, being asked what “move in bed makes a man go crazy every time?”

Her response: “You gotta give ’em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang!” she says with a country twang in the clip. “Hawk tuah” is meant to emulate the sound of spitting, and … you can come to your own conclusion as to what “that thang” is about.

The clip, filmed in Nashville, has been remixed, re-created, and discussed so much online that Haliey is now dubbed the “Hawk Tuah Girl”: She has her own merch line and has even spawned a rumor that she was fired from her job.

Earlier this week, as the video was making its rounds online, a parody account called Tippah County Tribune made a post joking that the woman, whom they named “Hailey Wellington,” had been fired from her job as a preschool teacher at Epstein Day School.

“We have kids spitting on each other and everything else … They really look up to her as a role model and imitate the things that she does,” read a fake statement from the fake school’s fake director. “We love Hailey but unfortunately we cannot allow this type of behavior from one of our very own faculty members.”

The post even joked that Hailey was going to host a fundraiser to “retain the attorney” and pay for her legal battle with the school.

That rumor might have been fake, but then what is real? The answer is “Hawk Tuah” merch. The original creators who interviewed Hailey have partnered with her and a local custom merch creator to sell clothing with her silly line. They’re working with a Tennessee-based brand called Fathead Threads to make “authorized merchandise” with Hailey.

One of the most viral items on sale is a cap that reads “Hawk Tuah ’24” as if it were a political campaign, with each word representing a candidate for president and vice president. The campaign slogan is, obviously, “Spit on that thang.” The hats go for $40 if signed, or $30 without a signature.

“The Fathead Family is extremely grateful for the response we’ve gotten over the ‘Hawk Tuah’ movement,” wrote the merch brand behind the clothing. “However, with the rapid amounts of messages and calls we are trying to respond as quickly as possible. Please allow up to 24 hours to get back to you. We appreciate your patience!”

Another merch item is a $38 “oversized graphic tee” featuring red text with different angles of the Hawk Tuah Girl and the slogan printed in large font. If you’re looking to spend just $20, there is also the “I Need Some Hawk Tuah” T-shirt and the “If she don’t hawk tuah, I don’t wanna tawk tuah.” (The second part is meant to sound like “talk to her,” of course.)

The original clip with the “Hawk Tuah Girl” is part of a longer video posted by Tim & Dee TV featuring interviews with different folks while on a night out at Nashville’s Broadway Street earlier this month. Hawk Tuah Girl is even asked to “leave a message to her last body” to which she replies, “I love you, pookie, forever!”

Rolling Stone has reached out to Hailey for comment on this developing story.