As Grand Theft Auto VI nears its Nov. 19 release, a social media debate has erupted over whether in-game romances and strip club scenes amount to real infidelity — and one OnlyFans creator says the outrage is overblown.
Skylar Mae, a millionaire content creator, told Jam Press that women banning their partners from playing the game should reconsider their priorities.
“They could be out at a real strip club or actually cheating on you in real life,” Mae said. “It’s the same thing with OnlyFans. Hey, at least they’re doing it at home and not physically cheating on you with someone else!”
The Grand Theft Auto franchise, first released in 1997, has long included simulated strip clubs and optional prostitution gameplay. GTA VI’s new installment has reignited scrutiny because players must maintain an ongoing relationship with a lead female character, including texting, dating and virtual intimacy.
The controversy gained traction after TikTok creator Shelby Haas, who has 1.1 million followers, posted a video declaring her fiancé would not be allowed to play the game once she learned about its relationship mechanics and strip club content.
“Don’t let your boyfriend, fiancé or husband play GTA6,” Haas said in the video. “The entire male population is going way downhill… why are you in love with pixels?”
Her video drew a mix of reactions. Some commenters sided with her, calling the gameplay “seriously weird” and suggesting men would object if a similarly popular game existed aimed at women. One commenter described the game as “demonic as hell.”
Others pushed back, arguing that treating a fictional character as a threat says more about personal insecurity than the game itself. “It’s just a game… Are we that insecure???” one user wrote. Another commented, “If you are worried about a fictional character… that’s a reflection on you.”
Mae sided with the critics of the bans, arguing that partners who are home playing a video game are, by definition, not out in the world engaging in actual infidelity. Rather than restricting their partners, she suggested women try the game themselves before passing judgment.
“My advice is to 100% play the game for yourself!” Mae said. “I think these girls should just jump on the game, take a look and chill out, because at least their boyfriends aren’t cheating on them in real life!”
The debate underscores a broader cultural divide over where personal boundaries in relationships should be drawn when it comes to entertainment and fictional content, an argument likely to intensify once the game reaches millions of players this month.
