Halle Bailey faced months of overwhelming social media comments, speculating whether she was pregnant or not. Now that the Little Mermaid star, 23, has confirmed the rumors were true, a new report revealed the reason why she and her boyfriend, DDG, decided to keep their baby Halo’s birth a temporary secret.
“Halle told friends it was to protect their baby and relationship from scrutiny, but it was all very strange to those around them, especially when she has had such a huge year in movies,” Us Weekly reported on Wednesday, January 10. The insider added to the outlet that Halle “plans to take some time off to bond with Halo.”
On January 6, Halle announced that she and DDG, 26, welcomed their baby boy to the world. The Color Purple actress shared an Instagram image of her hand holding Halo’s little hand, wearing a gold bracelet that was engraved with his name.
“Even though we’re a few days into the new year, the greatest thing that 2023 could have done for me, was bring me my son,” Halle captioned the post. “Welcome to the world my halo. The world is desperate to know you.”
DDG (Darryl Dwayne Cranberry Jr.) also featured Halo in his music video for “Darryl Freestyle,” which includes a lyric shouting out both Halo and Halle: “Silver Spoon kid / I know Halo don’t want for nothing / He crying / His mama coming / She’s stronger than Wonder Woman.”
As 2023 came to a close, Halle faced constant criticism for keeping the baby news a secret. Many social media users assumed that she was wearing outfits that covered her baby bump. Finally, after several weeks of incessant online bullying, Halle responded to a commenter who accused her of having a “pregnancy nose.”
“Listen, if I see one more person say something about my nose one more time, it’s going to be hell to pay,” Halle said in a video. “You know why? Because I’m Black. I love my nose. What are you concerned about my nose for? Leave me the hell alone.”
Halle also touched on the scrutiny she received over the past year during her Variety “Actors on Actors” interview. In December 2023, she sat down with fellow Disney princess Rachel Zegler and opened up about the horrible backlash she faced for portraying Ariel as a Black woman.
“I mean, we’re sensitive. We’re human beings. We’re actors, like, hello?” Halle began before pointing to how the public objectifies celebrities. “People start taking you away from being a real human being that has feelings and reacts to things. That was definitely something that I had to navigate. … Also, I’m an Aries, so I’m a fire sign. People are like, ‘Oh, she’s so sweet. She’s so nice.’ But a lot of times, when I see stuff online, I get mad. It’s hard being women under the spotlight. People are so critical and say anything that they would never say to your face.”