The singer and actress, 23, stars in the live-action remake of Disney’s 1989 classic, but when her casting was first announced, trolls took aim at the fact Halle isn’t Caucasian (although conveniently weren’t fussed with the fact she wasn’t a mermaid).
In a new interview, the actress said that although she was initially ‘shocked’ by the backlash, she was quick to remind herself that it was nowhere near as bad as the vile racism her family experienced in the deep south.
Halle explained: ‘When the negative comments started, I was shocked, because it wasn’t something I really anticipated – at least not on that scale.’
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, she added: ‘Then I started to think, “I’m from the deep south, it’s not like this is the first time I’ve experienced racism.”’
Halle added: ‘My nana used to see her family cotton picking and my grandpa remembers “whites only” water fountains.
‘When I think of the horrendous experiences they had, it makes a hashtag and some online hate seem totally inconsequential.’
Halle was first announced to be playing Disney’s iconic land-loving mermaid back in July 2019.
Reflecting on what playing Ariel had taught her at the UK premiere of The Little Mermaid earlier this month, she told Metro.co.uk: ‘I think she’s taught me how to stand in my power how to be confident, how to know that I am worthy.
‘I credit her with really this transformative experience in my life. You know, when most people are going away to college during those years, I was filming The Little Mermaid, so it was my version of college – like a mermaid college. So I was happy!’
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