Halle Berry recently found herself in the middle of unwarranted comments after a fan mistook the actress for Halle Bailey.
Bailey, who is also a member of the singing group ChloexHalle, is starring in the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.” The 22-year-old will portray the character Ariel. On Sept. 9, Bailey and “The Little Mermaid” began making headlines after Disney released the film’s teaser trailer.
In the clip, Bailey is seen swimming in the ocean and singing a slowed-down rendition of “Part of Your World.” Following the trailer’s release, fans voiced their opinions about it. Although many were excited about the upcoming film, others weren’t impressed.
On Sept. 10, a Twitter used named @sucidesportif tried to criticize the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” when they mixed up Berry and Bailey’s names. That person wrote in a now-deleted tweet, “Halle Berry is nearly 60 playing the role of a 16-year-old girl. This is what happens when you upset a fandom.”
A short time later, Berry shared a caption-less photo of a stale-faced Mo’Nique when the comedian was hosting “Flavor of Love: Charm School.”
As the Twitter interaction went viral, numerous users claimed that they confused Berry and Bailey’s names at one point. At the same time, others expressed that they didn’t understand why people couldn’t tell the difference between both actresses.
“White people mixing up Halle Bailey and Halle Berry is the funniest thing actually.”
“People confusing Halle Berry for Halle Bailey is the funniest s–t to me. ‘A 60-yEaR oLd Is PlAyInG aRiEl!'”
“How tf did some of yall get confused with Halle Bailey and Halle Berry one the age difference and two they look nothing alike.”
“There’s just no way people have mixed up Halle Bailey and Halle Berry…”
Despite the mix-up, this isn’t the first time Bailey has faced backlash for her role in “The Little Mermaid.” In 2019, after Disney announced that Bailey was playing Ariel, the star was met with racial comments, and the hashtag #notmyariel began trending.
The negative reaction stemmed from some individuals feeling that the studio should’ve given the role to someone who physically resembled the animated character. In 1989’s “The Little Mermaid,” Ariel was white with red hair and blue eyes.
“The Little Mermaid” live-action reboot is set to hit theaters in May 2023.
