We’ll soon receive the new live-action The Little Mermaid, and it’s clear Halle Bailey’s inclusion in the film has touched fans. When Disney first announced that the songbird would tackle the lead role of red-haired Ariel, there were mixed reactions. One side of the fence celebrated Bailey in her new role, while the other condemned the film for adding a Black Ariel. Disney purists believed the character should remain porcelain-skinned, and racists made their voices heard on social media.
Throughout it all, the mild-mannered singer took the criticism in stride. Her support system, including her equally-successful sister Chlöe Bailey, defended her against naysayers, as did their supporters. Despite the backlash, Halle acknowledged the weight taking on this role would carry, especially for young Black girls looking for another Disney princess who looked like them. One such pint-sized fan ran into Bailey during a trip with Disney World, and the precious moment brought tears to the eyes of viewers.
Halle Bailey Hugs Excited Fan
On Instagram, Halle shared bits and pieces from her trip to the Magical Kingdom. In one clip, the singer held a little girl who clasped onto Bailey tightly. A woman off-camera, presumably a relative, told the singer that Ariel was her favorite princess. When it seemed that Halle attempted to end the embrace, it only elicited laughs because the little girl wasn’t ready to let go. The only thing that could divert her attention was questioning her about a photo. Even then, she only turned her head and still kept a tight grip on her new favorite Ariel.
“Met this beautiful baby Mila Rose who made me cry 
,” Bailey wrote alongside the video. “She just hugged me so tight 
.” Elsewhere, another fan was thrilled when they stopped for the parade and captured Halle Bailey grooving with Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. The singer joined the first Black Disney princess in her car as they rode through the crowd and danced to the film’s favorites.
Taking It All In
was not expecting halle bailey to be at disney world today
pic.twitter.com/hSrIYW3nR5
— bria (@BriaMckenzie) March 23, 2023
In a recent feature for Edition Modern Luxury, Bailey spoke about her first reactions to the public’s pushback. “Seeing the world’s reaction to it was definitely a shock,” she said. “But seeing all the babies’ reactions, all the brown and Black young girls, really tore me up emotionally.” Further, Bailey stated, “It’s honestly been such a crazy ride, and I genuinely feel shocked and honored and grateful to be in this position. A lot of times, I have to pinch myself and be like, is this real life?” Check out videos of Halle Bailey’s Disney World trip above.