Shaq Offers Advice to Hawk Tuah Girl After Sudden Rise to Fame

Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and Hailey Welch, the "Hawk Tuah" girl, were spotted together last weekend.

O’Neal shared photos with the 22-year-old on his DJ Diesel account on X. They were in Nashville, Tennessee. The photos went viral, but O’Neal had some advice for the young woman.

The four-time NBA champion advised Welch to keep a "smart team" around her. He said it would help combat those trying to exploit her fame. He also told her to ignore the hateful comments on her videos, sources told TMZ Sports.

Welch recently spoke about her fame on Barstool Sports’ podcast "Plan Bri Uncut" with Briana LaPaglia. She dispelled rumors, including claims she was a teacher who got fired over her viral remarks.

In a separate video on her social media, Welch addressed OnlyFans rumors. "Stop asking me about the link in bio for my OnlyFans," she said on Instagram. "I don’t have an OnlyFans and there’ll never be an OnlyFans. I just make funny jokes, that’s all I do."

Welch has been seen selling merchandise based on the sexual innuendo she made in a man-on-the-street interview.