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About UsAdvertiseInvestor RelationsJobsNewslettersEditionUSUKAustraliaBrasilCanadaDeutschlandIndiaJapanLatamCalifornia residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data.Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2022 BuzzFeed, Inc PressRSSPrivacyConsent PreferencesUser TermsAccessibility StatementAd ChoicesHelpContactSitemapBuzzFeed NewsReporting on what you care about. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing.BuzzFeed TastySearch, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place!BuzzFeed GoodfulSelf care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life.BuzzFeed Bring MeObsessed with travel? Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me!BuzzFeed As IsSomething for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity.TV and Movies·Posted 13 minutes agoHalle Bailey Just Opened Up About The #NotMyAriel Backlash Over Her Casting In "The Little Mermaid"
She's so strong.
by Chelsea StewartBuzzFeed Staff
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If you were online the day it was announced that Halle Bailey would star in The Little Mermaid remake, you might remember that the news was met with mixed reactions from fans.
Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Images for BET
While many were excited to see her bring a new twist to the role, others weren't so thrilled, tweeting their anger over the casting of a Black actor through the hashtag #notmyariel.
Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images
Halle said in an interview at the time that she was trying not to "pay attention to the negativity" — but in all honesty, it stung.
Michael Tran / AFP via Getty Images
Halle recently opened up to Variety about how the criticism affected her and how she dealt with it, saying that her family was a big source of support.
Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images
“It’s important to have a strong support system around you," her sister, Chloe Bailey, told the outlet. "It’s hard to carry the weight of the world on your own.”
Thaddaeus Mcadams / Getty Images for Neon Carnival
Halle explained that once she shared the situation with her family, they gave her words of encouragement that helped her overcome all the negativity she was getting online.
Mike Coppola / Getty Images
“It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement, telling me, ‘You don’t understand what this is doing for us, for our community, for all the little Black and brown girls who are going to see themselves in you,’” she said.
Erika Goldring / WireImage
She also thought about what her own experience would have been like had she grown up seeing a person of color in that role. “What that would have done for me, how that would have changed my confidence, my belief in myself, everything,” Halle said. “Things that seem so small to everyone else, it’s so big to us.”
Dominique Charriau / Getty Images For Miu Miu
The Little Mermaid doesn't come out until 2023, but in the meantime, you can find out more of the details about the film here.
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