Countless social media stars have used their platforms to launch big careers, but Baby Ariel has the makings of a pop icon. Back in 2018, Time Magazine called her one of the most influential people on the Internet, and today the singer and actress boasts nearly 32 million followers on TikTok and almost 10 million on Instagram. There’s no question Baby Ariel has taken over our social feeds, but her starring role in the Disney Channel movie, Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 2, proves she’s making big moves in the TV world too. At this point, is there anything this girl can’t do? Here’s everything you need to know about rising star Baby Ariel.
Her real name is Ariel Rebecca Martin
She told Just Jared that the name Baby Ariel was kind of an accident. “It was actually very random. I was sitting with my friends one day and we downloaded the app Musical.ly. Everyone was making screen names and my friend put Queen something or Dancer something,” Ariel said. “Now I was like, let me just put Baby just for a day. Randomly. No intention of anything. And one day my video got featured and it just stuck with me. And I was going to change it. I hated it at first. But then it stuck. And then I thought, okay, I have to stick with it now.”
She got her start on Musical.ly
According to a Q&A she posted on YouTube, Baby Ariel started out on TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly, way back in May 2015. Her lip-sync, and dance videos helped her build a big following, and she’s credited by Famous Birthdays as the first person to get over 20 million followers on the platform.
A family hardship was a big factor in her early career
Her Spotify bio says that in 2015, Ariel’s home flooded, and her family was forced to live out of a suitcase at her grandparents’ house. It was during that time that she downloaded the Musical.ly app.
She signed with an agency a year after joining Musical.ly
After proving her star power on the app, Baby Ariel inked a deal with Creative Artists Agency in 2016. Ariel was just 15 at the time.
She’s got two Teen Choice Awards on her shelf
In 2016, Ariel won the first Teen Choice Award for "Choice Muser." The award, given to the year’s brightest social media stars, established Baby Ariel as a force on social media, and she went on to win again the following year.
There’s some serious talent behind those lip-syncing videos
Back in 2017, Baby Ariel announced that she was working on music and debuted her first single, “Aww,” later that year. Since then, the singer has released a series of singles and collaborated with artists like Daniel Skye. Her 2018 video “Perf” currently has over 54 million views on YouTube.
She was rumored to be dating TikTok star Jacob Sartorius
Ariel and Jacob make tons of videos together, and their clear TikTok chemistry has led many fans to believe the two could be dating. Ariel set the record straight in a Q&A video she posted on YouTube saying, "No, we’re just friends. We’re BFFs!"
She was also rumored to be dating singer Daniel Skye
The two recorded a duet called "Say It" and (spoilers) in the music video for the song, the two kiss. In another Q&A on her channel, she and Daniel acknowledge the question but choose not to answer.
She used to date TikToker Zach Clayton
The two were in a long-distance relationship for a few months back in 2016. The pair announced their break up on Insta in a now-deleted post that reads in part, “We wanted to let all of you know that Zach and I love each other so much, but it's gotten to hard for us to be together with all of the distance between us, our hectic schedules, and preparing for our tours, so we have decided its [sic] best to just be friends."
In 2017, Zariel posted a Q&A video on YouTube clearing the air. In the convo, the friends both took responsibility for the relationship ending—Zach revealing he was "really bad at relationships" when they were together, and agreeing the long-distance made the relationship feel "forced and rushed."
She also dated TikTok star Blake Gray
Blake and Ariel dated for eight months spanning from December 2016 to July 2017. Blake shared news of their split to fans in a tweet saying, "Ariel and I decided to take a break from each other for right now. We're still gonna be really close. Gonna miss you."
From Blake’s tweets praising Ariel as "hands down the nicest girl I have ever met," it seems the pair ended on relatively good terms.
Now, she's rumored to be dating singer Sean Cavaliere
Sean played the love interest in Ariel’s "I Heart You" music video, and ever since, fans have speculated that the two are an item. The two haven’t confirmed anything just yet, but this Insta post does look a little couple-y, just saying.
She starred in a web-series
Baby Ariel played the lead role in the web-series Baby Doll Records back in 2018. She plays a character named Dru, who has to balance high school life with her dreams of becoming a music producer.
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Ariel’s acting career is just getting started
Baby Ariel scored her first big acting role back in 2017 playing the guest role of Tiffany in the Disney series BIZAARDVARK! Christmas special. This year she took her acting to the next level, playing a teen werewolf in the Disney Channel original movie Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 2.
Kori Williams
Kori Williams is the Editorial Fellow at Seventeen and covers celebrities, pop culture, music and what’s interesting on the internet. She enjoys reading, crafting and eating out to the dismay of her wallet.
