by Venus Sanders
Due to performance concerns, the media conglomerate has pulled Halle Bailey from the running for Best Original Song at the Oscars.
Image Credit: Dave J Hogan / Contributor / Getty Images
The news surrounding Halle Bailey's pregnancy and her relationship with rapper DDG has begun to cast shadows over her career, including her Oscar prospects. According to recent reports, Halle has been removed from consideration for an Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category.
Previously, Halle seemed poised to secure an Oscar nomination for her outstanding performance. Disney's songs have historically performed exceptionally well at the Oscars, and Halle was widely expected to earn a nomination and potentially even win the prestigious award if she remained in contention. Disney's songs have garnered 42 Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song, with 14 wins.
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However, as of today, Disney has officially withdrawn Halle from Oscar consideration, marking a significant shift in her career trajectory.
Earlier this month, Disney had submitted one original song from "The Little Mermaid" for Oscar consideration. The song, titled "For the First Time," was performed by Halle Bailey. A screenshot from Disney's website a few weeks ago confirmed their submission of Halle's song for Oscar consideration. However, recent changes to Disney's website, as confirmed by sources, reveal that Halle has been removed from consideration.
Halle's pregnancy is not the sole factor that may be causing concerns for Disney. The remake of "The Little Mermaid" this year stirred controversy for various reasons. From the outset, Disney's decision to cast Halle Bailey as Ariel faced criticism from a specific demographic of Disney traditionalists who took issue with the departure from the original 1989 animation, where Ariel was depicted as white.
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Although Halle's performance received widespread acclaim upon the film's release, "The Little Mermaid" faced criticism for its extensive use of CGI and the decision to alter some of the original lyrics in songs like "Poor Unfortunate Souls" and "Kiss the Girl" to avoid potential offense to contemporary audiences. These controversies have added to the challenges the film and its cast, including Halle Bailey, have encountered.