Apr 6, 2026 2:44pm PT

Halle Bailey Says Racist ‘Little Mermaid’ Backlash ‘Taught Me How to Block Out the Noise’

Zack Sharf

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Zack Sharf

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ZSharf

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Three years after the release of Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid,” Halle Bailey is looking back at the experience of playing Ariel and how she ultimately felt freed by the discourse that erupted around her casting. Racist trolls were outraged at Disney for casting a Black actor as Ariel, which made Bailey the target of online harassment from toxic fans. But she doesn’t look back at the film’s release with any negativity.

Speaking to The Independent on the press tour for her latest film, the romantic comedy “You, Me & Tuscany,” Bailey said “The Little Mermaid” was “a beautiful experience for me – and I feel like it taught me to listen to myself and the good voices inside. I learned how to block out the noise.”

Halle Bailey Says Racist 'Little Mermaid' Backlash 'Taught Me How to Block Out the Noise'