When DeArius Marlow and Tim Dickerson decided to end their evening at the 3rd Avenue and Broadway intersection in downtown Nashville, they came across a woman who would become known as Hawk Tuah Girl.
After two women approached them, a viral sensation emerged: Hailey Welch.
She is referred to as Hawk Tuah Girl due to the onomatopoeic style of sound that she created while imitating a act in a video posted by DeArius and Tim.
The viral video has since been viewed more than 10 million times on YouTube.
It has also sparked various reactions videos and a merchandise line.
Since the clip was posted on Instagram, Welch’s popularity has increased.
She has also appeared on a podcast and even joined a country music concert held by Zach Bryan.
According to the New York Times, DeArius and Tim are happy for Welch’s success, but they are still perplexed by how they haven’t been acknowledged for their part in her emergence.
According to Marlow, nobody would recognize the woman if the video wasn’t posted.
He then stated that many of the people who viewed the video had no idea who they were until they saw it.
The people who saw the video thought that the two men were just nobodies.
They then treated the woman like she didn’t belong in the world.
The interaction with the two men started with Welch asking them a few simple questions.
However, the dynamic changed after she convinced Tim to ask a question that would immediately catapult her into stardom.
Following Welch’s explosive response, Tim and Marlow were surprised by the reaction of the people around them.
They didn’t think much about the viral storm that was about to happen.
However, a day after the interview, Marlow posted the video on TikTok, which quickly went viral on social media platforms.
Dishonest users started reposting the video after they decided to remove the “Dee and Tim TV” watermark from it.
Since they rely on views to earn money from their videos, Marlow and Dickerson have lodged about 50 copyright infringement claims.
The viral video caught the attention of some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Barstool Sports, OnlyFans, and Complex.