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Halle Bailey Says Little Mermaid Backlash Felt Freeing as She Reflects on Ariel Role

Her reframing of the 2023 backlash signals how young Black actors navigate online harassment.

Overview

  • Bailey, speaking in a new interview ahead of Friday’s release of You, Me & Tuscany, calls playing Ariel a beautiful experience that taught her to trust herself and block out the noise.
  • She says the racist online attacks that followed her casting put her in the middle of clashing opinions and ultimately felt freeing, likening it to watching herself inside a cup.
  • To cope, she turns to nature for perspective and often reminds herself that public reaction is fleeting, saying, none of this is real.
  • Bailey credits family guidance, including grandparents who shared their own experiences with racism, and she notes director Rob Marshall said the team auditioned every ethnicity with no agenda.
  • Outlets also report support from peers such as Zendaya, Ariana Grande, and Rachel Zegler, placing her experience within a broader debate over representation and social-media backlash to high-profile remakes.