Halle Bailey`s biography, photo, personal life, family, boyfriend, baby son, height, and weight 2024

Biography of Halle Bailey

Halle Bailey first burst onto the scene in 2016, along with her sister Chloe, transforming from unknown girls to stars performing as opening acts for Beyoncé. This was followed by music video shoots, Grammy nominations, solo musical albums, and initial forays into film acting.

In 2019, Halle was cast as Ariel in the movie 'The Little Mermaid'. The choice of actress divided audiences into two camps: some supported Bailey, while others believed that the dark-skinned girl was not suited for the role of a sea princess, since in the Disney animated film, the mermaid was fair-skinned. However, in 2022, skeptics watched the trailer for the upcoming film and were convinced that Halle looked organic in the role of Ariel.

Childhood and Family

Halle Lynn Bailey was born on March 27, 2000, in the city of Mableton in the state of Georgia. She is the second child in the family and has an older sister, Chloe, who is two years older, and a younger brother, Brandon, born in 2005.

Her parents are Doug and Courtney Bailey. Doug was convicted of domestic violence in 2007 and was sentenced to attend anger management courses. However, the family seems to have overcome these issues, and Halle and Chloe regularly express love and gratitude towards their parents, with Doug serving as the personal attorney and manager of his daughters.

Due to their close age difference, the girls grew up together amicably. Even as children, the sisters began to entertain themselves while their mother was occupied with household chores. In 2008, their father started teaching them music. The girls spent a lot of time playing musical instruments and watching instructional videos online.

In 2012, the family moved to Los Angeles to be closer to the heart of the world show business. Halle went to a local school, which she graduated from in 2018 - by that time, her name was already well known.

Music: Chloe x Halle

In 2011, Chloe and Halle launched the YouTube channel 'Chloe x Halle', where they began showcasing their artistic creations. One of the first videos of the girls was a cover of Beyoncé's hit song "Pretty Hurts." They then covered another famous single by the singer - "Best Thing I Never Had".

Beyonce - «Pretty Hurts (Chloe x Halle Cover)»

The girls recorded covers of songs by other artists such as Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, and others. However, it was their covers of Beyoncé's songs that brought them fame, as those videos became viral and spread across social media networks.

Beyonce - «Best Thing I Never Had (Chloe x Halle Cover)»

In 2012, the girls were invited to Ellen DeGeneres' talk show studio, "The Ellen Show". Soon after, Beyoncé took notice and shared the girls' cover video on her own social media. Representatives from Beyoncé reached out to Chloe x Halle and offered them a lucrative five-year contract (one million dollars for six albums) with her music label, Parkwood Entertainment.

In 2016, Chloe x Halle performed as the opening act during Beyoncé's "Formation" world tour and also appeared in her visual album "Lemonade".

In 2016, the sisters were contacted by the first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, who offered them to record a charity single with Kelly Clarkson, Zendaya, Kelly Rowland, and other stars called "This Is for My Girls". Michelle used the song in her campaign to eliminate female illiteracy called "Let Girls Learn". The girls performed the same song at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin.

Moreover, the year 2016 brought with it their first album. The debut record "Sugar Symphony" consisted of only four tracks, which rapidly became hits. The girls shot music videos for the songs "Fall" and "Drop," which garnered several million views.

Chloe x Halle - Fall

The following year, the Bailey sisters released the mixtape "The Two of Us," which received widespread recognition from critics. Rolling Stone magazine even dubbed the collection one of the best albums of the year in the R&B genre.

In 2018, the duo presented their first studio album "The Kids Are Alright." The track "Grown" became the musical theme for the television series "Grown-ish." Meanwhile, the single "Warrior" was included in the soundtrack of the movie "Wrinkle in Time".

Halle and Chloe Bailey at the premiere of the movie «Wrinkle in Time»

"The Kids Are Alright" album earned Chloe x Halle two Grammy nominations in categories of "Best New Artist" and "Best Urban Contemporary Album". The sisters opened for Beyonce and Jay-Z's "On the Run II Tour", gaining valuable experience performing for large crowds. According to Halle, they learned a lot from the tour, including how to interact with 50,000 listeners.

In 2019 Chloe x Halle performed at the Super Bowl and the Grammy Awards. They sang "America the Beautiful" at the Super Bowl and a cover of "Where is the Love" by Donny Hathaway at the Grammy Awards.

Chloe x Halle Grammys 2019: “Where is the Love”

In 2020, after a productive year of work, the sisters presented another album "Ungodly Hour" to their fans. The year brought them a series of nominations, including "Album of the Year", "Song of the Year", "Video of the Year", "Best Dance Performance" at the Soul Train Music Awards, "Best Progressive R&B Album", "Best R&B Song" and "Best R&B Performance" at the Grammy Awards.

At the 2020 Billboard Women in Music ceremony, Chloe x Halle performed the composition "Baby Girl". On stage, Beyonce presented the duo with the prestigious Rising Star award.

Acting career

From an early age, both sisters appeared on film. For instance, Chloe encountered Beyoncé for the first time in 2003, on the set of the comedy film "Fighting Temptations". Bailey portrayed the childhood hero of the singer.

Meanwhile, Halle had to wait until 2006 for her cinematic debut, when she was entrusted with a minor character in the comedy "The Last Vacation". Later, the girls appeared in episodes of the television series "The Payne Family", "Austin & Ally", and the film "Let it Shine" (2012).

Halle and Chloe Bailey in the tv series «Austin & Ally»

The sisters were given more prominent roles in the 2018 television series "Grown-Ups", for which they also recorded the theme song. Halle played Sky Foster and left the series at the end of the fourth season - in the plot, her character graduated from college and began adult life. In the summer of 2019, the sisters released the music video "Who Knew" for a new composition from the series.

Halle Bailey in the tv series «Grown-Ups»

In July 2019, it was announced that Halle Bailey was cast as Princess Ariel in the upcoming live-action remake of "The Little Mermaid" and would also be working on the film's soundtrack. Director Rob Marshall stated that Bailey has a "rare combination of spirit, youthfulness, innocence, emotional depth and a gorgeous singing voice."

«The Little Mermaid» – teaser

However, the casting choice was met with controversy and criticism from some fans who felt that Ariel should only be portrayed as a white character. The hashtag #NotMyAriel began trending on social media, with users expressing their disapproval of the casting decision and suggesting alternative actors for the role of Ariel.

Halle Bailey in the movie «The Little Mermaid»

Freeform, the production company behind "Grown-ish," defended Halle in an official statement by pointing out that Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" and the author of the fairy tale, Hans Christian Andersen, are from Denmark, a former powerful empire that imported African slaves, so people with dark skin were not uncommon there. Many celebrities such as Zendaya, Jodie Hadid, Nicki Minaj, Halle Berry and many others supported Halle in this situation.

Style

Halle is a big fashion lover and her personal stylist Zerina Akers, who also works with Beyoncé, is responsible for her red carpet looks. Zerina tries to coordinate Halle's outfits with her sister Chloe's to make sure they complement each other.

The Bailey sisters appeared in various fashion campaigns, including Ivy Park in 2017, and Rodarte FW18 collection, as well as participating in the Dolce & Gabbana runway show and appearing on the digital covers of Paper and Essence magazines.

Personal life

Upon acquiring popularity, the sisters acquired real estate in the North Hollywood area. In leisure, Halle engages in running and swimming, cycling profusely. In 2021, she took in a cat named Poseidon.

At the end of the same year, it became known that the girl was dating rapper and blogger DDG (his real name is Darrel Duayne Granberry Jr.). In March 2022, the musician confirmed their relationship by publishing a joint video in honor of his girlfriend's birthday. In the caption, he confessed his love to Halle. In August, Bailey appeared in the rapper's music video for the song "If I Want You."

In January 2024, Halle shared the joyful news – she gave birth to a son named Halo. The baby's father is rapper DDG. Rumors of the actress's pregnancy had been circulating since September 2023, but the star never confirmed them.

Halle Bailey Now

In 2021, Bailey participated in the Disney World 50th anniversary telefest solo, without her sister. She performed the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".

In September 2022, a teaser trailer for the upcoming "The Little Mermaid" was released, causing another wave of criticism towards Halle. However, this time the film's creators paid more attention to the PR campaign. Videos of little dark-skinned children watching the clip with Halle's appearance and rejoicing at her appearance on screen began to spread on the internet.

Kids React to 'The Little Mermaid' Trailer in Priceless Way

In 2023, "The Little Mermaid" was planned to be released in May. Despite facing criticism, Halle Bailey chose to ignore it and said she was proud of her performance in the film. She also received the lead role in the musical film "The Color Purple" alongside Daniel Bruhl and Elizabeth Marvel. Additionally, she was cast in the drama "The Line".

Interesting facts

The role of Ariel Beale largely owes to her vocal abilities. In the 1989 animated film, several actresses worked on the image of the sea princess. The appearance and expressions were drawn from 16-year-old Alissa Milano, voiced by Jodi Benson, and the animation was gifted to her by Sherri Stoner. However, under new rules, for a film to be eligible for an "Oscar", the lead character must both sing and act on her own. These tasks were successfully carried out by Halle.

Halle has a hobby of hand-made jewelry. She makes necklaces and earrings from beads, and in 2021 she began selling them online.

Important dates in life

In 2006, she appeared in the comedy "Last Vacation."
In 2011, she started a YouTube channel with her sister.
In 2012, she moved to Los Angeles and appeared on the talk show Ellen DeGeneres.
In 2016, she warmed up for Beyonce on the "Formation" tour, appeared in the film "Lemonade," participated in the recording of the charity single "This Is for My Girls" for Michelle Obama's campaign, and recorded her first mini-album "Sugar Symphony."
In 2017, she released the mixtape "The Two of Us" and participated in the Dolce & Gabbana fall show.
In 2018, she and her sister released the studio album "The Kids Are Alright," received two Grammy nominations, performed as part of Beyonce and Jay-Z's "On the Run II Tour," and got a role in the series "Grown-ish."
In 2019, she performed at the Super Bowl and the Grammy Awards and was cast as Arielle in the movie "The Little Mermaid."
In 2020, she released the album "Ungodly Hour" and received three Grammy nominations.
In 2021, she started dating rapper DDG.
In 2022, she got a role in the musical film "The Color Purple."
In January 2024, she welcomed her son Halo.