Halle Bailey says racist ‘Little Mermaid’ casting backlash ultimately proved ‘freeing’

Halle Bailey says the racist online backlash she faced after being cast as Ariel in Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid” ultimately strengthened rather than broke her.

The actress-singer, 26, spoke with The Independent while on the press tour for her upcoming romantic comedy “You, Me & Tuscany,” which opens in theaters Friday. She described starring in the 2023 Disney film as “a beautiful experience” that taught her to trust her instincts and tune out the critics.

“I feel like it taught me to listen to myself and the good voices inside,” Ms. Bailey told the outlet. “I learned how to block out the noise.”

When the casting was announced, toxic fans flooded social media with racist objections to a Black actress playing the iconic animated character. Ms. Bailey did not address the backlash directly by name, but said the experience of being at the center of such a polarized public conversation was unexpectedly clarifying.

“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,” she said. “I felt like I was watching myself inside a cup, seeing how people react to it.”

Ms. Bailey said her grounding comes from growing up in the entertainment industry alongside her sister Chloe as the R&B duo Chloe x Halle, and from keeping perspective on what truly matters.

“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 just always think to myself, ’None of this is real.’”

She also described going out into nature as a way to stay levelheaded in Hollywood. “I love feeling small, realizing that the world is so big and beautiful and I’m just a tiny, tiny part of it,” Ms. Bailey said. “What matters is keeping our feet on the ground, and holding the people we love.”

The backlash was not entirely without its silver linings. Ms. Bailey previously told Variety that her grandparents helped her weather the storm when the #NotMyAriel hashtag began trending on social media, sharing their own experiences with racism and discrimination.

“It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement,” she said at the time, recalling them telling her: “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.”

Director Rob Marshall, who helmed the film, later told Entertainment Weekly that the production auditioned actors of every background before landing on Ms. Bailey.