Halle Bailey is taking on the roll of the iconic Disney Princess — Ariel — in the upcoming live-action Disney film, “The Little Mermaid.”
As she gets ready to make a splash in theaters, she is also hitting the high seas by showing off her body in a blue bikini.
Halle Bailey Is All Smiles While On A Boat
The 22-year-old “Grown-ish” star is having fun while on a boat with friends. She wore a bright aqua-colored bikini, which gives off sea vibes. The bikini top is crocheted and she paired the bathing suit with a matching colored skirt as a cover-up.
“comfortable in my skin 🐬💕,” she captioned the post. Fans commented on the post almost immediately saying, “halle you’re glowing omg 🥹” and “Always by the water and always gorgeous, love that for you 🫧.”
A third chimed in, “Just effortless Glow Halle! You Queens are everything! 😍.”
Halle Bailey Shows Off Her Booty
In another photo, Bailey showed off her booty by playfully posing on the boat. “She’s a mermaid for real 😍💚💙,” one fan commented as another chimed in with, “Prettyyyyyyyyyyyy ALSO MY ARIEL.”
“Now at last I’m in, my own skin, up here in the world above❤️,” another commented.
Halle Bailey Opens Up About ‘Black Ariel’ Backlash
In 2019, Disney announced that actress Halle Bailey, who is known for her work in ABC’s “Grown-ish” and as one half of the popular R&B singing duo Chloe and Halle, would portray the iconic Disney Princess, Ariel, in the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.”
Not long after the announcement, fans took to social media to express their frustrations about the casting of the Disney Princess and the hashtag #NotMyAriel immediately began to trend.
Some, however, stood up for Bailey, including The Walt Disney Company, Jodi Benson (the original voice for Ariel in the 1989 animated classic), and Lin-Manuel Miranda, one of the producers and composers for the upcoming live-action remake.
Bailey also addressed the backlash, saying, “And even still today with all of the commentary and people’s opinions going on, it just reminds me to be number one: grounded, and grateful that I have this opportunity.”
She continued, “And the fact that it’s sparking such a discussion for all of us … I mean, I know what it would’ve meant to me as a little girl to have been able to see a Black Ariel.
“When I was younger, if I would’ve seen that, it would have changed my whole outlook on life so the fact that I’m kind of getting to do that is really cool and unbelievable to me and the little girl inside of me is screaming and freaking out,” Bailey concluded.
Support From Her Family
The actress said growing up, her grandparents shared their experiences with racism and discrimination, which has helped her face challenges today. “It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement, telling me, ‘You don’t understand what this is doing for us, for our community, for all the little Black and brown girls who are going to see themselves in you,’” she told Variety.
Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid” hits theaters on May 26, 2022. The film will star Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Jacob Tremblay as Flounder.
