Halle Bailey says she learnt to block out Little Mermaid casting backlash

Halle Bailey "learnt how to block out the noise" amid the backlash over her casting in 2023's The Little Mermaid remake.

The 26-year-old singer/actress insisted she had "a beautiful experience" playing the titular mermaid in Disney's live-action remake, even though she had to deal with online hate over a Black actor being cast as Ariel.

"I feel like it taught me to listen to myself and the good voices inside. I learnt how to block out the noise," she told The Independent. "How do I explain it... 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."

Bailey added that she observed the backlash "like an experiment" and was able to distance herself from it thanks to her exposure to fame as a young teen.

"I felt like I was watching myself inside a cup, seeing how people react to it," she continued. "Growing up in the industry can really develop your sense of self, and for me, it keeps me grounded in a way. I know for some people it's the opposite but I just always think to myself, 'None of this is real.'"

The Chloe X Halle singer revealed that she and Rachel Zegler - who faced her own backlash after being cast as the live-action Snow White - offered each other support, while Zendaya and Ariana Grande also reached out to her.

"As women, I think we form a little protective bubble around each other, especially when we see a peer going through lots of opinions. Rachel was definitely one of those people. I love her," she praised. "We all understand what a vulnerable place it is to be, and at the end of the day, we are young women... we're self-conscious... we're insecure. I'm insecure at times, and sometimes the opinions of people can muddy your own thoughts. So it's special to have a community who's there to say, 'You're amazing. We're here for you.'"

Bailey is currently promoting her new romantic comedy, You, Me & Tuscany, which opens in cinemas on Friday.