Summary
After being out for almost a decade,The Sims 4has become a treasure trove of colorful characters.The Sims 4continues the franchise’s legacy of telling interesting stories that expand on certain Sims' lore, ranging from family scandals to unresolved mysteries. So, apart from growing their virtual families, many players are also spending a lot of time digging into the backstories of their neighbors.
OneSims 4character that caught the attention of players is Baby Ariel, a pre-made townie who debuted inThe Sims 4:Get Famousexpansion pack. This four-star celebrity was inspired by real-life celebrity Ariel Rebecca Martin, also known as Baby Ariel, who started her career as an online personality.
The Story of The Sims 4’s Baby Ariel
The Simsannounced in 2018 that it was collaborating with Martin to create a Baby Ariel-inspired character and cosmetics. She was featured inThe Sims 4: Get Famousas an NPC performer, who can be seen singing and playing a guitar around the neighborhood. Players can also dress their Sims with sweatshirts, tees, and hoodies inspired by Martin’s personal style. The collab was also available onThe Sims MobileandThe Sims Freeplay, but only for a limited time.
Martin rose to fame as a teen creator on the now-defunct platform Musical.ly, where she posted entertaining lip-sync videos and gained a massive following. She used her platform to talk about her many advocacies, such as anti-online bullying campaigns. Martin’s online popularity led to an acting career, as she starred in a number of Nickelodeon andDisney projects, such asZombies 2andBixler High Private Eye.
The Sims 4took a lot of inspiration from Martin’s celebrity life to create Baby Ariel. She’s a teen with a great reputation and an Aspiration to become a World-Famous Celebrity. When players first meet her, she has skill points for piano and guitar, which reference the celebrity’s musicality. Baby Ariel also reportedly has a hidden trait that prevents her from aging and dying. Another interesting fact is that she doesn’t have anyfamily members inThe Sims 4, which may explain why she doesn’t have a last name.
Players can give Baby Ariel a last name if they edit her inThe Sims 4’s Create-A-Simmenu.
The only way players can control Baby Ariel is by letting her move into their Sims' household, which might be challenging because she’s a teenager and doesn’t have any family members. One solution is to remove her hidden trait that stops her from aging through mods, so she can become an adult who can move in with close friends and/or significant others. Of course, players can also create their own version of Baby Ariel using her outfits in Create-A-Sim, which manyThe Sims 4creatorshave done.
Why Baby Ariel Is Controversial Now
It’s been over five years sinceThe Sims 4released the Baby Ariel collaboration, and many players still interact with the celebrity townie if they have theGet Famousexpansion pack installed. OutsideThe Sims, Martin is still working as an actress, with her most recent project being the coming-of-age filmSuncoast, and continues to build a massive following on TikTok. However, she’s also become a controversial figure on social media.
Recently, Martin has expressed strong support for Israel on her social media platforms amid the ongoing conflict in Palestine, which drew the ire of many of her followers.Baldur’s Gate 3Frazer Blaxland also came under firefor liking anti-Palestine and LGBTQ+ sentiments on social media. Despite the backlash, Martin continues to be a staunch advocate of Israel, even sharing resources to show her continued support.
