Freeform isn’t here for “The Little Mermaid” trolls.
The Disney cable network penned a lengthy letter to people who criticized Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel in the upcoming live-action reboot of the film.
“Yes. The original author of ‘The Little Mermaid’ was Danish. Ariel…is a mermaid. She lives in an underwater kingdom in international waters and can legit swim wherever she wants (even though that often upsets King Triton, absolute zaddy),” the statement begins.
“But for the sake of argument, let’s say that Ariel, too, is Danish. Danish mermaids can be black because Danish people can be black,” the statement continues. “Ariel can sneak up to the surface at any time with her pals Scuttle and the ahem Jamaican crab Sebastian (sorry, Flounder!) and keep that bronze base tight.”
“Black Danish people, and thus mer-folk, can also genetically (!!!) have red hair. But spoiler alert – bring it back to the top – the character of Ariel is a work of fictions,” the statement goes on. “So after this is said and done, you still cannot get past the idea that choosing the incredible, gorgeous Halle Bailey is anything other than the INSPIRED casting that is because she ‘doesn’t look like the cartoon one’, oh boy, do I have some news for you…about you.”
Todrick Hall also blasted haters in a lengthy post on Twitter.
Following the announcement that the Chloe x Halle singer would be playing the beloved character, a lot of backlash happened online including petitions to recast Ariel.
— Stephanie Swaim
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