Here's what the OG Ariel had to say about Halle Bailey being "The Little Mermaid"

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 09: Halle Bailey (L) and Chloe Bailey of Chloe X Halle attend the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Clarence Avant at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 9, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

(Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Halle Bailey has the nod of approval from the original Ariel.

After the 19 year old singer was cast as the singing mermaid in Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, racist and angry comments started to flood the Internet.

Here's what the original voice of Ariel, Jodie Benson had to say:

“I think the most important thing is to tell the story,” Benson said at the Florida Supercon convention, as seen in the Instagram video below. “We have, as a family, raised our children and for ourselves that we don’t see anything that’s different on the outside. 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.”

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Disney's cable Freeform had words for those upset with the decision. You can read those here as well as words from Halle Bailey.

Ariel Halle Bailey jodie benson Little Mermaid

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J. Steele is the afternoon host on 105-1 The Bounce and has been with the station for over 5 years (and counting!) He has worked all over the country in cities including Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Montreal! As a content creator, J. Steele loves to write about celebrity gossip, food, social media hacks and sports!