Haliey Welch Opens Up About Mystery Boyfriend ‘Pookie’ as She Confirms They’re ‘Officially’ an Item

Haliey Welch and “Pookie” have made things official!

On an episode of Talk Tauh with Haliey Welch on Oct. 16, the 22-year-old internet star revealed that she and her boyfriend — who she has referred to as “Pookie” to keep his identity private — are now an item.

“Pookie’s my officially my man,” Welch said, noting that he asked her to be his girlfriend on their first date.

During the conversation, Welch’s friend Chelsea — who was also a guest on the podcast — revealed the sweet gesture “Pookie” made to make their first date memorable, including putting “balloons all over his room” and having a sign that said “Be Mine.”

Welch explained that when they went to his apartment, she accidentally ruined the balloon display when she turned out the ceiling fan and the balloons popped. However, despite the mishap, Welch agreed to be his girlfriend and praised “Pookie” for the effort during the podcast.

“[He even set] rose petals on the bed [in a] little heart shape [with] a big bouquet of roses,” she gushed.

During the podcast, Welch explained that even though they recently made their relationship official, they’ve been in each other’s lives for quite some time. “I’ve known this man for, like, three years [and] he’s playing hard to get, and I love a good game,” she explained.

While speaking with PEOPLE back in September, Welch briefly opened up about her dating life as she reflected on the influx of DMs she received after going viral in June. At the time, she was featured in a man-on-the-street interview with creators Tim & Dee TV and the quirky sex advice she offered in the interview went viral, giving her the nickname “Hawk Tuah Girl” online.

“My DMs are full of men, but that’s just not my cup of tea,” she told PEOPLE at the time, noting that Pookie was “still in the picture” and things were “getting serious” between them. 

During her conversation with PEOPLE, she also shared that “Pookie” lives in “the next town over” from her hometown of Belfast, Tenn., and that their relationship has been “on and off for two or three years.”