Keke Palmer defends casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel

Keke Palmer has blasted critics of Halle Bailey’s casting in the upcoming live-action reboot of The Little Mermaid, insisting it’s “about damn time (black people) get to play the mermaid”.
The 25-year-old actress and singer, who was the first black actress to play Cinderella on Broadway, reflected on the controversy surrounding Halle’s casting as Ariel as she appeared on Good Morning America’s Strahan and Sara on Monday (08Jul19).
“What’s up y’all, it’s me, the black Cinderella,” Keke began. “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, and I know you’re not the sharpest people, but crabs can’t talk. In fact, the entire thing is fiction!
“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.”
Keke is the latest star to defend Halle’s casting – Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in Disney’s animated The Little Mermaid, applauded bosses for awarding the 19-year-old the role, telling fans at Florida Supercon over the weekend: “I think that the spirit of a character is what really matters… What you bring to the table in a character, as far as their heart and their spirit, is what really counts…
“We need to be storytellers. And no matter what we look like on the outside, no matter our race, our nation, the colour of our skin, our dialect, whether I’m tall or thin, whether I’m overweight or underweight, or my hair is whatever colour, we really need to tell the story.”