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Keke Palmer Slams Racist Trolls for Criticizing Ariel: “You Do Know She’s Friends With a Talking Crab” 

Even with rave reviews, the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid can’t quite seem to swim away from racial backlash. 

From the time the trailer sneak peek of the reimagined Disney classic premiered, it inspired wide-eyed young girls who finally saw a princess they could relate to, but it equally lit a fire in fans who didn’t want to see the original red-haired Ariel cast as a black woman. While the Disney Parks navigate two versions of Ariel meeting Disney Guests in the Parks, some still refuse to consider the modern Ariel, a royal mermaid.

Halle Bailey Ariel
Credit: Choovie Group, Flickr

Through all the upstream battles while promoting The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey (Ariel) has maintained her composure, contagious smile, and humility at every appearance. Even surprising the original kiddos from the viral video capturing their reactions to the black Ariel, Bailey continued to reach above and beyond for fans.

Plenty of star-powered support has come out of the woodwork in Bailey’s defense, including praises sung by fellow Disney star Dwayne Johnson about her Ariel performance. But the positive doesn’t always squash the negative, and flopping numbers for The Little Mermaid in China and South Korea related to Ariel’s race proves the princess could use more to speak up for her (Ariel doesn’t have a voice, after all).

Halle Bailey as Ariel
Credit: Kucuk_Deniz_Kizi_18, Flickr

Black Cinderella to the Rescue

While the media continues to buzz about Ariel’s race, a video from The Little Mermaid trailer’s release has come to the surface. On GMA’s “Strahan and Sara,” Keke Palmer, the first African American woman to play Cinderella on Broadway, had a stern message for Halle Bailey haters.

On Twitter, @Wandasariel shared Palmer’s message that she delivered looking straight into the camera:

What’s up y’all, it’s me, the black Cinderella. And I know you’re scared because Hollywood is making an effort to be more diverse in the people that they show on screen. But let me ask you this: why can’t a mermaid be black? Why is that too unrealistic for you? Because you do know she’s friends with a talking crab? I know you’re not the sharpest people, but crabs can’t talk. In fact, the entire thing is fiction!

Keke Palmer Interview
Credit: Dillard University, Flickr

Palmer didn’t flinch when she delivered her concluding message:

​​And, since the beginning of the entertainment industry, the most roles for black women were that of the maid. So it’s about damn time we get to play the mermaid.

When the camera panned to Michael Strahan, he shouted:

We went to church! Hallelujah!

It’s no surprise that Palmer defended Bailey with half her life spent in the spotlight—long before the world started centering diversity in media. With stints in the music industry, in films like Nope (2022), and breaking boundaries on broadway as Cinderella, the solidarity in Palmer’s message was powerful.

The episode aired in 2019 when Rob Marshall’s groundbreaking casting decision was announced. Nearly four years later, while The Little Mermaid rakes in over $300 million at the box office, Palmer’s message has been making its rounds again—and it’s worth repeating.

Kaitlin Morelli

A Disney World Guest since before she could walk, Kaitlin is a Jersey girl and former Virginia Tech Hokie. When she's not listening to the 'Moana' soundtrack on repeat with her baby daughter, she's writing, singing, and strumming the ukulele. Kaitlin is passionate about finding the best Disney Park tips n' tricks and moments when pop culture and Disney collide. She's looking forward to eventually taking her first Disney trip with her favorite fan in the making: her daughter.

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