“I am literally choking up because this means so much to me,” Halle Bailey said on Instagram.
Halle Bailey is at a loss for words after getting her hands on one of the new Ariel dolls. The toys are headed to stores before Disney’s latest live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid is released.
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“Today, I have something really exciting to reveal to you all. I am gonna cry,” Bailey said in a video posted to her Instagram account. “This is the new Little Mermaid doll. I am literally choking up because this means so much to me, and to have one that looks like me, that’s my favorite Disney character, is very surreal.”
The waterproof doll has a shimmering blue and purple mermaid tail and Bailey’s signature red locks from the movie. “And look, she even has my mole…” the singer excitedly pointed out. “And the hair… I’m just stunned. So, I don’t quite know what to do with it, but I’m going to steal this, and take it home and hide it forever,” she continued.
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The 22-year-old could not stop smiling as she showed off the adorable doll, and neither could I as I watched. If the trailer is anything to go off of, this movie will break records upon its release.
“Omg… the little girl in me is pinching herself right now,” Bailey captioned the post. “I can’t believe how much she captures my version of this iconic character. Brb gonna go cry now.”
Inspiring Young Black Girls Everywhere
Bailey’s portrayal of the redheaded mermaid is groundbreaking as she is one of the few Black actresses to portray a Disney princess in a film. After Disney released the teaser trailer for The Little Mermaid last year, heartwarming videos of parents showing their young Black children the video went viral online.
@icantbemanaged321 Ignore the laundry please. Representation matters. #thelittlemermaidtrailer #representationmatters #webothcried #thelittlemermaid ♬ original sound – icantbemanaged321
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Unfortunately, some are still upset by the casting and make their opinions known online. But Bailey is not letting the take away from the power of representation.
“Today, with all of the kind of commentary and people’s opinions going on, it just reminds me to be number one grounded and grateful that I have this opportunity and the fact that it’s sparking such a discussion like this for all of us,” she said in a YouTube video. “I know what it would have meant to me as a little girl to have been able to see a black Ariel when I was younger. If I would have seen that, it would have changed my whole outlook on life.”
Joining Bailey in this incredible cast is Awkwafina as Scuttle, Melissa McCarthy as the evil sea witch Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian.
See Ariel swim into theaters when The Little Mermaid premieres on May 26.
