Halle Bailey Reflects on Ariel Role Backlash

Halle Bailey, the actress and singer known for her breakout role as Ariel in Disney's 2023 live-action "The Little Mermaid," has described the experience as transformative and freeing, despite facing significant racist backlash upon her casting. In a recent interview while promoting her upcoming romantic comedy "You, Me Tuscany," Bailey reflected on how the controversy helped her develop resilience and focus on her inner voice.

Bailey, 26, told reporters that portraying the iconic mermaid taught her to "listen to myself and the good voices inside" and "block out the noise." She characterized the polarized public reactions as an experiment of sorts, saying, "It was actually freeing to be in the middle of this conversation where so many different opinions were coming in, and they were so opposite from one another... I felt like I was watching myself inside a cup, seeing how people react to it." The casting announcement in 2019 sparked widespread online criticism, including the hashtag #NotMyAriel, from those opposed to a Black actress playing the traditionally white character from the 1989 animated film. Bailey, who previously said such antagonism was "not really a shock anymore"...