Halle Bailey Reveals How She Handled The Little Mermaid’s Backlash
Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action remake is easily one of the most anticipated, yet controversial titles by far from the House of Mouse. The casting of Halle Bailey, an actress of color in the role of Ariel has been facing backlash from the Internet for straying too far away from the original.
And of course, the young actress was the direct victim of this backlash, as she also received a lot of online abuse for taking on the role. Recently, Bailey joined an interview with Rachel Zegler, another upcoming Disney star, and talked about how they both dealt with the toxic backlash online regarding their movie roles. Here’s what the actress had to say.
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#1. “We’re Human Beings,” Said Bailey
Source: Gilbert Flores, Getty Images
During her recent interview alongside Zegler for Variety, Halle Bailey opened up on how she encountered negative comments on social media, and how she handled them in the best way possible. According to Bailey, most of her backlash was toxic comments regarding her race and looks, and that any normal human being would feel sad hearing them.
"I mean, we’re sensitive. We’re human beings. I get my feelings hurt if my cat doesn’t want to sit next to me. That’s what people don’t realize: We’re granted amazing opportunities and able to be seen on massive screens, but there is a dissociation. People start taking you away from being a real human being that has feelings and reacts to things,” said Bailey.
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Source: Disney
The young actress has been facing racist comments and backlash ever since Disney’s casting announcement in 2019. The unreasonable hate for her continues until 2023, as The Little Mermaid’s first official trailer was swarmed with dislikes and troll comments. Most of the backlash pointed to how Disney abruptly changed Ariel’s skin color, and how Bailey didn’t have the charm to be a House of Mouse’s princess.
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#2. Bailey Made The Right Decision To Keep Her Head Down
Source: Valerie Macon, Getty Images
Initially, the heavy backlash irritated Bailey, and she felt the urge to speak out against the majority, but largely refrained herself from doing so.
"That was definitely something that I had to navigate. But it turned out to be the most beautiful lesson — to block any naysayers or negativity out. Also, I’m an Aries, so I’m a fire sign. People are like, ‘Oh, she’s so sweet. She’s so nice.’ But a lot of times when I see stuff online, I get mad. I want to respond, but I’ll just be like, ‘No, it’s OK,’” the actress explained.
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Source: Disney
Instead of speaking out against the haters, Bailey blocked all of them out of her mind, kept her head down, and continued to work for the movie. While the remake version wasn’t entirely well-received by fans and critics, the actress’ performance was appreciated, and she even won a Bulletin Award as Ariel. She also inspired many other children of color to step up and achieve the dream of being a Disney princess.
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#3. What Lies In Store Next For Halle Bailey?
Source: Disney
While receiving heavy backlash from a faction of fans and mixed reviews from critics, The Little Mermaid still achieved considerable success at the box office, grossing nearly $570 million worldwide, and is currently the ninth-highest-grossing movie of 2023. It is also one of the most popular new entries after making its way to Disney+.
The live-action film also launched Bailey’s career to a new height. The Grammy-winning actress is now reportedly starring in another remake, The Color Purple. In the upcoming movie, Bailey will portray Nettie Harris, the protagonist Celie Harris-Johnson’s biological sister. The movie will be released worldwide on December 25, 2023.
Do you think Bailey’s way of handling toxic criticism was valid? What do you think of her performance in The Little Mermaid? Share what you think below.
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