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.”
Several celebs, including Halle Barry, responded warmly to the news. She wrote: “In case you needed a reminder… Halles get it DONE. Congratulations on this amazing opportunity, we can’t wait to see what you do!”
Last week, the pair said they would postpone the release of Ungodly Hour from June 5 to June 12 in respect of George Floyd and to honor the protests going on against police brutality.