Disney's casting of Halle Bailey for the upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid has caused arguments on social media. The racial backlash first arose following her casting in 2019. However, the #NotMyAriel is still being used on social media following the 1.5 million dislikes the film's trailer received in its first 48 hours online.
But while some may be upset by Bailey's involvement in The Little Mermaid, many have come to her defense. Her supporters include the original voice actor for Ariel, Jodi Benson, and the star of the mermaid rom-com Splash, Daryl Hannah. However, despite the backlash, some may be surprised to discover Bailey isn't actually Disney's first Black mermaid.
Even with the hate flooding social media, the countless reaction videos of young girls thrilled to see a live-action Black princess who resembles them touched Bailey. And Disney made a leap in the right direction by casting the Grown-ish star as its first live-action Black princess. But years before, Disney introduced another Black mermaid in the forgotten The Little Mermaid series in the 1990s.
Reddit user u/Peter Porky posted an image from the CBS series of Ariel next to Gabriella, a Black mermaid from the Ivory Coast. Gabriella was also deaf and communicated using sign language, with her octopus friend Ollie serving as her interpreter. According to Business Insider, a young fan inspired the creation of Gabriella, but she tragically passed away during the series' first season.
Despite the continuing disagreements surrounding her casting, one half of the musical duo Chloe x Halle isn't letting the haters bring her down. "I feel like I'm dreaming and I'm just grateful and I don't pay attention to the negativity," Bailey said. And downvotes and angry comments aside, Bailey singing a few lines of "Part of Your World" in the trailer, and the spectacular underwater clips, mesmerized viewers.
Even though it began development in 2016, the live-action Little Mermaid won't premiere until Memorial Day weekend in 2023. But ahead of Little Mermaid's D23 Expo appearance, Bailey posted the first image of her as Ariel on Instagram. "This experience has made me so much stronger than I ever thought I could be," she captioned the photo. And as Bailey continues to show off that strength, it's important to remember Gabriella, who helped pave the way.
To see Halle Bailey portray Ariel, The Little Mermaid releases May 26, 2023.