Shaquille O'Neal counsels 'Hawk Tuah Girl' amid surge in fame and hate
Former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal reportedly mentored Hailey Welch, a.k.a. the "Hawk Tuah Girl," amid her sudden rise in fame after her viral video on social media. As reported by TMZ, "Shaq" gave Welch a bunch of tips on how to navigate her newly found celebrity status when they linked up in Nashville last weekend.
O'Neal reportedly advised the internet sensation to keep a smart team around her to protect her from people who might want to take advantage of her. Moreover, Welch was reported to have shown Shaq some hateful comments she got on the video. The NBA legend advised her to pay no attention to the comments as the people on the internet didn't know her.
Shaq and Hailey Welch reportedly talked for about an hour, after which the NBA legend brought her up to the DJ booth during his set as DJ Diesel at Jon Bon Jovi's new joint in Nashville. O'Neal also shared a snap with the "Hawk Tuah" girl during their meetup on Sunday, which has also gone viral.
Fans react to Shaquille O'Neal linking up with "Hawk Tuah" girl in Nashville
Shaquille O'Neal's post on X, formerly Twitter, about linking up with the "Hawk Tuah" girl in Nashville received endless humourous reactions from fans. Many couldn't believe the random crossover that featured the former NBA star and the internet sensation.
"Aw shit Shaq got hawhtauh’d his life about to change," a fan tweeted.
"I don’t even wanna know what happened after hours Shaquille," a fan tweeted.
"Hawkil O Neal," a fan tweeted.
"shaq tuah dunk on that thang," a fan tweeted.
"Dude is a living legend for just finding this gem," a fan tweeted.
Shaq also joined in on his X thread to have some fun of his own as he shared his reaction to the photos.
Shaquille O'Neal's link-up with the "Hawk Tuah" girl happened after the LA Lakers legend reportedly saw Hailey Welch onstage at country artist Zach Bryan's show in Nashville. Shaq apparently told his team to get in touch with her so she could make an appearance during his DJ Diesel gig at Bon Jovi's place the next day.
Shaq began DJing as DJ Diesel in recent years and released "You Can't Stop The Reign," his third studio-recorded album last week. Diesel will be taking his talents all over the world over the next few weeks and is a massive hit in the music world.