Olajide “KSI,”commonly referred to as JJ, made headlines recently as the guest on the Talk Tuah podcast hosted by Haliey Welch. This episode marked the podcast’s return after a hiatus triggered by a significant controversy involving Welch and the Hawk Tuah cryptocurrency meme coin in December 2024.
After the allegations of a crypto scam caused outrage online, the Talk Tuah podcast paused its operations. However, Welch announced her comeback last month, releasing the KSI episode on April 8, 2025.
Mixed Reactions to KSI’s Appearance
Reactions to KSI’s choice to return to the podcast have been polarizing, with many questioning his decision to collaborate with Welch in light of her past issues.
“Why did he go on there?”an X user asked under a clip from the episode.
“Another reason to not like KSI,”another claimed.
“Two re*ards in one room. Of course KSI goes on there after she scammed her audience. Two scammers in a pod,”another social media user posted.
Conversely, a segment of viewers expressed support for KSI, highlighting positive perspectives on his appearance.
“Let him cook,”one X user wrote.
“Sidemen forfeit was the reason, not because he just wanted to go,”a fan claimed.
Welch’s Legal Updates Following the Scandal
In a recent development, Haliey Welch and her legal representative have stated that the SEC found no misconduct during their investigation into the meme coin debacle.
Welch, who gained popularity on TikTok, leveraged her viral fame to launch projects like Talk Tuah. The podcast took a break in December 2024, shortly after hosting notable guests such as Whitney Cummings, Mark Cuban, and Wiz Khalifa.
This hiatus coincided with a fallout from the meme coin scandal where Welch introduced the $HAWK cryptocurrency on the Solana blockchain. Initially successful, the token’s value soon dwindled, resulting in significant losses for investors. Critics, including popular YouTuber Coffeezilla, accused Welch of engaging in a pump-and-dump scheme, which led to considerable backlash against her.
A leaked podcast episode featuring FaZe Banks that circulated on social media showed him attempting to assist Welch’s team with the fallout from the cryptocurrency issues. Subsequently, FaZe Banks clarified his intentions, stating he sought to investigate and understand Welch’s side of the controversy surrounding the $HAWK coin.
Despite the uproar, Welch had remained inactive on social media until her re-emergence with a video posted on March 25, 2025. Just two days later, she, along with her attorney, informed TMZ that the SEC had concluded its investigation without any findings against her.
“The SEC closed the investigation without making any findings against, or seeking any monetary sanctions from, Haliey. Because they did not bring any action against her, there are no restrictions on what she can do in regards to crypto or securities in the future,”stated Welch’s lawyer.
With the release of the KSI episode and a clean slate from regulatory scrutiny, Haliey Welch is poised for a comeback in the podcasting world.