Summary
BABYQUEEN, an AI virtual girl group created by several female students who enjoy K-pop, announced that fictional member Mity would pause activities because she was “pregnant.” The in-character statement spread widely online, and a new-song teaser posted about an hour later intensified accusations that the plot was a publicity stunt. The creators later said they were managing several characters, wanted to reduce the workload and chose an inappropriate fictional reason to retire Mity temporarily. They said the project began as an unpaid hobby and denied designing the incident for traffic. After large accounts amplified it, the students reported insults, body-shaming and harassment extending to family members. The episode turned a fictional continuity device into a debate about disclosure, gendered storytelling and the treatment of small virtual-character creators.
Hana’s perspective
I think this episode exposes a basic design choice in virtual-character storytelling: fiction can borrow the intimacy of real life, but creators still need to signal where performance ends and manipulation begins. Pregnancy was used as an expedient exit plot, then circulated without context as if a person had made the announcement. The backlash also shows the opposite failure. Criticism of a narrative choice does not justify harassment of young creators or their families. Small teams need moderation plans and clear fiction labels before a character unexpectedly reaches a mass audience.
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