Halle Bailey Says Racist Backlash From ‘The Little Mermaid’ Wasn’t a ‘Shock’
"People don’t understand that when you’re Black there’s this whole other community," Bailey told The Face. "It’s so important for us to see ourselves."
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There’s nothing I love more than a remake of a classic, especially when it comes with a modern twist. Such is the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, which stars Halle Bailey as the titular character and is set to premiere this May. But thanks to centuries of Hollywood’s white-washed media, Bailey, a Black woman, wasn’t who the public had in mind to play Ariel. (Apparently, the racial identity of fictional characters will always be a thorn in racist viewers’ sides.) And sadly, Bailey wasn’t surprised by the racist backlash her casting garnered. “As a Black person, you just expect it and it’s not really a shock anymore,” Bailey told The Face in a recent interview.
The first teaser for the film, which was released in September, brought an onslaught of online hate. The hashtag #NotMyAriel began trending on Twitter, with people complaining that Bailey looks “nothing like Ariel.” (I’m pretty sure we all know what that’s code for!) Luckily, there are people in the industry in Bailey’s corner, who have advised her on how to protect herself as a Black celebrity figure… such as Beyoncé herself. “When [Chlöe and I] first signed to Parkwood, B was always like, ‘I never read my comments. Don’t ever read the comments.’” Bailey recounted. “Honestly, when the teaser came out, I was at the D23 Expo [The Ultimate Fan Event] and I was so happy. I didn’t see any of the negativity.”