People On Twitter Keep Confusing ‘Little Mermaid’ Star Halle Bailey With Halle Berry


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Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has been in the works for ages, but lately it’s been coming together awfully quick. Last week we heard that Melissa McCarthy had nabbed the role of Ursula, the tentacled baddie (although maybe Lizzo will swipe it from under her). Wednesday news broke that the big role of Ariel, the titular not-so-little mermaid, was going to young singer Halle Bailey. And if your brain — already shutting down for some holiday cook-outs and some Trump’s North Korea-esque parade hate-watching — initially read that as “Halle Berry,” you weren’t alone.

No, the Oscar-winning star of Monster’s Ball and Swordfish isn’t playing Ariel. In fact, Berry, like Bailey, is quite busy: She and her killer dogs kicked a lot of butt in John Wick: Chapter 3 earlier this summer, and she’s prepping for her own stunt-heavy action movie. So frankly she doesn’t have time to strap on some mermaid pants and moon over some young boy. So those duties will have to fall to someone who almost shares her same name.

Still, the confusion gave people something to do on a boring holiday eve. Some (apparently) played along.

https://twitter.com/ira/status/1146535177180651522

Others expressed self-disgust.

Others used the opportunity to plug something else.

Others reveled in the mass hysteria.

https://twitter.com/alissamarie/status/1146504859631403008

https://twitter.com/jmsmith1906/status/1146543987421057027

https://twitter.com/prisonculture/status/1146516572128915457

https://twitter.com/kpfallon/status/1146505986410274816