"It’s an important battle to fight and she’s not alone"
Diana Huey has defended Halle Bailey in the controversy surrounding The Little Mermaid
Halle Bailey has received support from the first woman of color to play Ariel in The Little Mermaid – Diana Huey.
Bailey received a backlash after being cast as Aruel Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of the 1989 cartoon simply because she is African American.
Huey, who is Japanese American played Ariel in he touring musical production of The Little Mermaid in 2017 and defended the casting role publicly.
“As I go out on the road city to city as an Asian American playing Ariel, I hope that it will inspire the next person who is out there auditioning for something to believe that THEY can be cast in a role based on their work and their talents,” Huey said at the time.
Now, in an interview with The Wrap, Huey offered her support to Bailey and defended her against the controversy.
“Keep your head up and know than it’s so much bigger than you as a single person fighting these battles,” Huey said “If she can stay positive and just remember, there’s more support than there is hatred. It’s an important battle to fight and she’s not alone.”
In related Disney news, the teaser trailer for Mulan’s upcoming live-action remake has just been released.
Disney is also replacing the racist ‘The Siamese Cat Song’ for its upcoming live-action Lady And The Tramp film.