Halle Bailey has broken her silence on the racist backlash she received after portraying Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
During an interview with The Independent, Bailey shared how playing the role was a “beautiful experience.”
”I feel like it taught me to listen to myself and the good voices inside,” Bailey explained. “I learned how to block out the noise.”
While Bailey did not go into specifics, many critics used racial tropes to desribed her casting as the Disney princess. #NotMyAriel posts were seen all over social media in response to Bailey
“It was actually freeing to be in the middle of this conversation where so many different opinions were coming in,” she said. “And they were so opposite from one another.”
“I felt like I was watching myself inside a cup, seeing how people react to it,” she added.
Bailey also noted that her experience in the industry since childhood has prepared her to handle criticism.
”Growing up in the industry can really develop your sense of self, and for me, it keeps me grounded in a way,” she said.
”I love feeling small, realizing that the world is so big and beautiful and I’m just a tiny, tiny part of it,” she continued. “The fact I’m here is a blessing, and I’m grateful [to be doing music and acting], but at the same time, this is not what matters in life. What matters is keeping our feet on the ground and holding the people we love.”
She also expressed gratitude for fellow actresses Zendaya and Rachel Zegler, who supported her.
”As women, I think we form a little protective bubble around each other. Especially when we see a peer going through lots of opinions. Rachel was definitely one of those people. I love her,” Bailey said. “We all understand what a vulnerable place it is to be, and at the end of the day, we are young women… we’re self-conscious… we’re insecure.”
Released in 2023, the live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid grossed almost $570 million at the worldwide box office.