Halle Bailey Says ‘It’s Not A Shock Anymore’ While Speaking On Racist Backlash Received Over Her Role In ‘The Little Mermaid’

Halle Bailey

Halle Bailey Says ‘It’s Not A Shock Anymore’ While Speaking On Racist Backlash Received Over Her Role In ‘The Little Mermaid’

TV and film star Halle Bailey seems to be unaffected by racist internet trolls.

During a recent interview, “The Little Mermaid” actress discussed the online outrage she has received since being cast in the starring role of the Disney film.

According to reports, Bailey, 22, stated about the matter:

“As a black person, you just expect it and it’s not really a shock anymore,”

She continued:

“I never read my comments. Don’t ever read the comments…When the teaser came out, I was at the D23 Expo and I was so happy. I didn’t see any of the negativity.”

Following the first look teaser of the film, set to premiere May 26th, sour internet users everywhere felt it prudent to express their dissatisfaction with Bailey’s casting. Some “life long” fans of the Disney film argued the live-action movie should directly reflect the 1989 cartoon. As you may know, the animation features the fictional mermaid character Ariel drawn as and voiced by a white woman.

While an army of supporters did come to Bailey’s defense, some users commented nasty remarks, with one taking things so far as to recreate the trailer with a white AI Ariel, reportedly captioning the post “fixed it.” Despite this, the “Grown-ish” alum said the importance of her portrayal in the big-budget film outweighs any slander. She stated:

“People don’t understand that when you’re black there’s this whole other community…it’s so important for us to see ourselves.”

Halle Bailey

Bailey also discussed the viral trend of little Black kids worldwide watching her Ariel debut, which even included the daughter of Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade. The singer stated:

“I was crying all night for two days, just staring at them in disbelief…It makes me feel more grateful for where I am.”

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Black kids react to little mermaid trailer! ??

? original sound – Zane

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Do you agree with Halle’s stance on the topic? Leave your thoughts in the comments!