Halle Bailey Overcoming Reaction to Ariel Casting

Halle Bailey is opening up about how she felt when she was cast as Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid, and trolls reacted with predictably loathsome levels of racism. Several went so far as to start a petition titled #NotMyAriel.

The 20-year-old appeared on Teen Vogue with her sister Chloe, and inside, they also discussed their upcoming album Ungodly Hour.

Halle said: “We’ve always learned to just keep our heads up no matter the situation. No matter what anybody has to say about you… just keep pushing.”

Director Rob Marshall said at the time the news broke: “It was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance – plus a glorious singing voice – all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role.”