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At the centerfold of racism in American cinema and the live-action reimagining of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, actress and singer Halle Bailey is not surprised she is receiving backlash.
In her decision to accept the role, Bailey revealed in an interview with The Face, a British publication, that she is playing the beloved animated character to inspire Black girls, knowing her portrayal would have been hated by many.
For Bailey, she plans on getting over her detractors by channeling her art and winning over the hearts of girls who see themselves in her performance.
“I just want to continue to heal through my art. Each project I’ve done has taught me something about myself, has given me something to live off,” said Bailey. ​“If somebody can take something away from whatever character I’m playing, that’s all that matters to me.”
In a Good Morning America segment, it was revealed that the actress knew what she was signing herself for when she accepted the role of Ariel in the upcoming film, slated to premiere on May 26.
The 1989 version of the Little Mermaid is an animated musical starring Ariel, a white, red-haired mermaid seeking emancipation from her undersea kingdom to understand the human world above.
If the movie is accurate to the Disney source material, Bailey’s love interest, Prince Eric, will be played by Jonah Hauer-King, a white actor.
As MADAMENOIRE previously reported, Bailey’s rendition was teased in a trailer that garnered more than 1.5 million dislikes, presumably from bigots.
It is believed this review bombing – the group act of disgruntled fans giving a media property negative reviews online – led to YouTube permanently disabling the dislike counter.
“As a Black person, you just expect it and it’s not really a shock anymore,” Bailey told The Face. ​
“When [Chlöe and I] first signed to [Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment]: ​‘I never read my comments. Don’t ever read the comments.’ Honestly, when the teaser came out, I was at the D23 Expo [the biggest Disney fan event] and I was so happy. I didn’t see any of the negativity.”
After receiving an onslaught of hateful comments, the 22-year-old actress was comforted by her family members, including Bailey’s grandparents, with whom they grew up during the segregation era.
Despite the poor reception on YouTube, the Black section of TikTok had mothers recording their daughters’ reaction to the Bailey as Ariel, all pointing to their screens and saying, “She’s Black like me!”
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