Halle Bailey and Rachel Zegler have sadly been the target of racism after they landed their roles — but the way they handled the hate shows they are true Disney princesses at heart.
In a new Actors on Actors interview via Variety that premiered on Thursday, the two young actresses sat down and discussed their parts as Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Snow White in the upcoming Greta Gerwig film. As we reported, 23-year-old Halle was the target of some seriously hateful comments after she gave it her all in the kid’s flick that premiered earlier this year, and the trend continued with 22-year-old Rachel getting the same treatment after being cast in 2025’s Snow White. Just awful!
In the interview, the West Side Story alum asked the singer if all the backlash got her down:
“You proved them wrong with grace. I was so inspired by the way you handled anybody who had anything bad to say about it. Did you ever let it affect you at all? You definitely didn’t publicly.”
To which 1/2 of Chloe x Halle responded:
“Of course. I mean, we’re sensitive. We’re human beings. I get my feelings hurt if my cat doesn’t want to sit next to me.”
Aww! Haha.
Related: Halle Thankful For Fans ‘Who Are Respectful Of Women’s Bodies’ Amid Pregnancy Rumors!
Rachel admitted she was the exact “same way” as Halle, to which the elder actress added on that often their humanity is overlooked because of the big screens:
“That’s what people don’t realize: We’re granted amazing opportunities and able to be seen on massive screens, but there is a dissociation. People start taking you away from being a real human being that has feelings and reacts to things. That was definitely something that I had to navigate.”
So terrible! But in the end, she feels like she got something much greater out of all the lows:
“[It all] turned out to be the most beautiful lesson — to block any naysayers or negativity out. Also, I’m an Aries, so I’m a fire sign. People are like, ‘Oh, she’s so sweet. She’s so nice.’ But a lot of times when I see stuff online, I get mad. It’s hard being women under the spotlight. People are so critical and say anything that they would never say to your face.”
To which the Shazam! star added on:
“Choosing thankfulness and gratefulness is choosing peace. As much as you’d like to remind people verbally that being in the spotlight doesn’t absolve you of your humanity — that you’re allowed to have human moments — it doesn’t necessarily do what you want it to do. It fuels them more … We’re making things that make people connect with one another. And there are people out there who say things that make people want to not come together, that make people want to fight. And it’s just not worth the time and energy.”
Beautifully said! These ladies have such grace and an incredible ability to turn the other cheek — we could all learn something from them! At the end of their discussion, Halle summed up her thoughts in one sentence:
“Stay grateful and ignore the hate.”
AH-Mazing! You can watch the entire interview (below):
We love how Halle and Rachel have risen above the racism and cruelty that’s thrown their way every day. They’re showing everyone what it means to be a true princess!
Thoughts, Perezcious readers?
[Image via Variety/DisneyMusicVEVO/YouTube]
