Freeform Responds To #NotMyAriel Comments That Criticize Casting Of Halle Bailey As Little Mermaid

After Disney announced the casting of Halle Bailey, star of the show Chole x Halle, as Ariel for the live-action version of The Little Mermaid, some fans on Twitter seemed to have a problem with it. Freeform has not been afraid to bite back.

Chloe x Halle shared a photo of an animated Ariel, who was black and had brown hair, on its Instagram account. The caption of the photo said, “Dreams come true…” Freeform also shared a photo on its Instagram of this news, showing its pride in Bailey, who currently plays Sky on Freeform’s sitcom Grown-ish.

On Twitter, some Disney fans have expressed disappointment at the fact that Ariel is being played by someone who is black. #NotMyAriel has been tweeted multiple times as well.

Freeform commented on its Instagram, “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 comment then closed with, “spoiler alert — bring it back to the top — the character of Ariel is a work of fiction. So, after all, this is said and done, and you still cannot get past the idea that choosing the incredible, sensation, highly-talented, gorgeous Halle Bailey is anything other than INSPIRED casting that is because she “doesn’t look like the cartoon one”, oh boy, do I have some news for you…about you.”

Freeform then even took this comment and made it into a post on its Instagram account.

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