Halle Bailey is getting ready for her newest film, Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid” to hit theaters. The 22-year-old is set to star as the lead, Princess Ariel, which has stirred up some backlash due to her ethnicity and skin tone.
However, she is not letting that get her down as she continues to embrace her role and is proud to represent her favorite princess in the upcoming film.
In fact, Bailey has just shown off a brand-new Ariel doll that will be released to help promote the new movie.
Halle Bailey Shows Off Her Ariel Doll
The 22-year-old singer and actress shared a video to social media of herself holding up an Ariel doll that looks just like she does in the live-action Disney film.
“Today I have something really exciting to reveal to you all,” Bailey said in the video she posted to Instagram. “I am going to cry. This is the new Little Mermaid doll. I am literally choking up because this means so much to me, and to have one that looks like me, that is my favorite Disney character, is very surreal.”
“And she even has my mole! See!” Bailey added while pointing to the doll’s head.
View this post on Instagram
She also wrote a heartfelt caption for the video, which read, “omg 🥹💗the little girl in me is pinching herself right now ..i have my own Little Mermaid Ariel doll !!! I can’t believe how much she captures my version of this iconic character 🥹💕brb gonna go cry now.”
The official D23 Instagram account commented on Bailey’s video, using a line that Ariel says in the film to express their thoughts on the doll, “Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your entire life? 🥹.”
And Bailey’s other half of Chloe x Halle and her sister, Chloe Bailey, wrote, “IM BUYING 100 OF THEM!!!”
Halle Bailey Addresses Ariel Backlash
The Walt Disney Company dropped another trailer for its upcoming live-action film a few weeks ago, which sparked even more backlash from fans, who went on to attack both Disney and Halle Bailey.
One fan went on to Tweet, “The live-action should reproduce the anime to the maximum extent to show their respect. Halle is a perfect singer but not a suitable actress for Ariel. Ariel’s skin is white, her hair is red and her eyes are blue and these can not be changed.#NotMyAriel.”
As another slammed the company, Tweeting, “I do not care what anyone says, I’m not watching the little mermaid (not even when it becomes available on @DisneyPlus @DisneyStudios you only had one job, and you’ve fu*ked up big time. It wasn’t a singing competition. #NotMyAriel.”
Bailey opened up about the backlash, admitting that she expected it. “As a Black person, you just expect it and it’s not really a shock anymore,” Bailey told The Face in a recent interview. ​”When [Chlöe and I] first signed to Parkwood, [Beyoncé] was always like: ​’I never read my comments. Don’t ever read the comments.’ Honestly, when the teaser came out, I was at the D23 Expo and I was so happy. I didn’t see any of the negativity.”
She added, “I know people are like: ​’It’s not about race.’ But now that I’m her…People don’t understand that when you’re Black there’s this whole other community. It’s so important for us to see ourselves.”
Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid” hits theaters on May 26, 2023.
