Newly minted Disney princess Halle Bailey, who plays “Ariel” in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, revealed to Instagram how the longtime queen of tennis slid into her Instagram DMs to share sweet words of encouragement.
Rather than run into one another at an exclusive premiere or fancy celebrity event, the Black women ran into one another virtually through the classic communication hub of Instagram DM.
“I remember going in my DMs and seeing it and just freaking out, and I didn’t know what to say,” Bailey revealed.
What happened next proves that even a major motion picture celeb like Halle Bailey can be intimidated by someone like world-class tennis player Serena Williams.
The actor shared how she and the 41-year-old famed athlete kicked off a beautiful friendship for the latest episode of Instagram’s new video series “SEEN (get it?),” which dives into the stories behind the industry connections Gen Z celebrities and creators have made through the simplicity of a well-timed DM.
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The 23-time Grand Slam champion has long expressed her love for the Disney franchise, a die-hard affection dating back decades. As she awaits the arrival of her second child, the enamored Williams has even shared her desire to name the child after a Disney character.
@serena Help me think of baby names. #disney #fyp #fy #babynames
As demonstrated by Williams’s husband Alexis Ohanian’s recent tweets about seeing The Little Mermaid with Olympia, it’s clear the family loved Bailey’s recent film, and the tennis superstar shared the sentiment in a beautiful note to the actress, who was just as overjoyed to receive it.
Update: it was FANTASTIC. Great CG, too. @HalleBailey crushed it.
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) May 14, 2023
“The first DM that Serena Williams sent me, she sent a really nice message, something along the lines of, ‘I’m really proud of you, keep going,’” the actor and musician shared in the clip, the iconic Disney castle behind her.
This DM was especially memorable as Bailey and her sister have been longtime fans of the Williams sisters.
“My sister and I look up to her and her sister [Venus Williams] so much. So I was dying at the interaction,” Bailey told Instagram.
The Little Mermaid star even poked fun at how beside herself she acted. “She’s going to watch this and be like, ‘Wow, She’s a really big fangirl of me,'” she said, laughing.
What was her response back to Williams?
“I ended up thanking her and telling her how beautiful her family is and how Olympia, her daughter, is so special,” Bailey remarked.
In an unexpected turn of events — at least to Bailey — Williams kept the thread going, responding with her phone number. But even celebs get star-struck, and Bailey couldn’t muster up the courage to use it.
“I’ve been like too scared to text her because I’m, like, ‘What? That’s Serena Williams,’” Bailey said.
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But after the DM conversation, the pair transitioned their online friendship out of the DMs and into the real world when they reconnected at the Met Gala earlier this month.
“I actually just saw her at the Met, and she was so kind, and I met her husband, and I’m just so happy for her,” Bailey shared.
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Thanks to such a special experience, the Disney actress has been converted into pro-DMing people you admire, even if it’s just a greeting or to let them know you’re a fan of their work.
“My advice? Always send a DM,” she said. “It might just get seen.”
