As if we weren’t excited enough about the live-action Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey has just had the sweetest fan reaction.
The wholesome moment happened last week at Disney World, with the 22-year-old actor hugging the young fan who was overjoyed to meet her hero.
After some of the racist reactions to her casting, the star clearly struggled not to tear up as she took part in a special event for the Disney Dreamers Academy.
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The Grown-ish actor has been subjected to horrific abuse online since it was announced she was cast as Ariel in the live action remake of the iconic animation.
Racist trolls even took to targeting the film’s trailers and flooded social media with hateful reviews in a bid to sink the upcoming movie.
Speaking about how she struggled with the online hate, Bailey admitted to Edition magazine that it was ‘a shock’ and that she turned to co-star Melissa McCarthy for support.
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However, the Last Holiday star said that it’s all been worth it after seeing the reaction from young fans who finally see themselves represented.
She added: “…seeing all the babies' reactions, all the brown and Black young girls, really tore me up emotionally.”
Bailey even struggled to hold back the tears as she met a young fan in a touching moment which was captured on camera last week:
In fact, the little girl was so excited to meet the star that she refused to let go and gave Bailey the biggest hug.
Adorably, the Austin & Ally star can be heard complimenting her young fan, telling her: “You're so pretty… you're so beautiful and sweet.”
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As if the clip couldn’t get any sweeter, a lady in the background even told Bailey that Ariel was the child’s ‘favourite Disney princess’.
Whilst the actor bounces her young fan, she asks about the little girl’s name and greets her with a big smile as she says hi.
Off camera, the same woman can be heard saying: 'Oh my god, she won't let go' as she watches the sweet interaction between the two.
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Later that day, the actor shared the heartwarming footage on her Instagram Stories and told fans: “And I met this beautiful baby Mila Rose who made me cry… she just hugged me so tightly.”
The moment proves how impactful Bailey’s role had been, and the actor continued to inspire others during her Disney visit.
Bailey was appearing as a guest mentor at the Disney Dreamers Academy, which offers career advice for teens from unrepresented communities.
We’re not crying, you’re crying.
Topics: Disney World, Disney, Celebrity, Film and TV
Katherine Sidnell