LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Disney’s much-awaited live-action version of ‘The Little Mermaid’ starring Halle Bailey as Ariel and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric is all set to hit the theatres on Friday, May 26. While Prince Eric and Ariel have long been winning hearts as one of Disney’s fan-favorite couples, Bailey and Hauer-King also won over fans with their close friendship and adorable chemistry, both on and off the screens.
Ahead of the release of the movie, fans of the lead pair began to ship the duo and took to social media to share the possibility of them dating. Romance rumors between Bailey and Hauer-King continued to make rounds as fans analyzed their photos, videos and quotes from different events, interviews and promotions and gushed about their bond. The speculation was further amplified after rumors of Bailey allegedly parting ways with her boyfriend, rapper DDG, came to light. However, none of the theories have been proven as the stars involved are yet to address the rumors themselves.
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‘Rooting for them so bad’
While there is no confirmation about the dating rumors between Bailey and Hauer-King, fans have continued to share their theories to ship ‘The Little Mermaid’ stars. “Happy 1st day of may! time to start the halle - jonah dating rumors,” a fan wrote earlier this month. “Might have to start a jonah and halle shipping page cause they were cute asf in that movie idk,” another added. “I’m shipping halle Bailey and Jonah so bad,” a third wrote. “The way he runs up to her,” gushed a fan while sharing a video of Bailey and Hauer-King.
One said, “We know what must be doneee.. this two must be kept together. goodbye DDG” while another theorized, “They’re actually secretely dating… that’s why Halle and DDG had a falling out.” A third fan wrote, “Need them to have consensual workplace relationship” and one said, “rooting for them so bad.” Meanwhile, another mentioned, “I’m anti “shipping” real life people, but Halle & Jonah are an exception.”
‘We became very, very close friends’
Hauer-King and Bailey first met during the former’s final screen test for ‘The Little Mermaid’. The ‘Little Women’ star recalled Bailey being warm while he was nervous as three other potential actors were also eyeing Prince Eric’s role. Hauer-King said that Bailey knocked on the door of his trailer after his audition and wished him luck. “I didn't take her being kind to me as any indication. I just assumed she was a lovely person and would've done that for anyone,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly.
He also said that he was “traumatized” by the exchange. “I thought, ‘What does it all mean? Is that an indication? Did she knock on everyone's door?’” However, the duo immediately bonded after Hauer-King’s selection and struck up a close friendship while filming. “We became very, very close friends — and still are,” the 27-year-old told the publication. Bailey also opened up about her bond with Hauer-King during an interview with Out magazine.
Speaking about breathing life into the character of Ariel alongside Hauer-King’s Prince Eric, Bailey said, “We've all resonated with feeling alone or that maybe we're in the wrong place and wanting something greater for our future. As a young Black woman, I have felt that way many times in my life. So just pulling from my own experiences, it was a beautiful thing to incorporate that into Ariel's story. It was so much fun to be able to play that with Jonah.”
She continued, “From the moment we met, there was this genuine friendship and connection that we had, and I was so grateful for that. I think in our screen test the first time, we felt that right away. I was just really grateful to be able to play it with somebody like Jonah, who is a kind person and who is a leader. And so talented.” Bailey added, “For us to be embarking on this journey together for the first time, I think that was a bonding experience on its own. Being able to play these iconic characters that we both were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is a big deal, this is happening.’”
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