Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey admits to "freaking out" after Serena Williams sent her a DM 

Halle Bailey, the star of Disney's "The Little Mermaid," recently shared her experience of Serena Williams sliding into her DMs.

Singer-turned-actress Bailey made a major breakthrough in her acting career with her portrayal of Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid. Her performance as the beloved mermaid princess garnered widespread praise from both critics and fans alike.

In Instagram's series "Seen," where viewers are given a glimpse into the power of connecting through direct messages, Halle Bailey was asked about a DM she received from the former World No. 1 Serena Williams.

Bailey expressed her excitement and disbelief upon receiving the message from Williams. She also added that both she and her sister Chloe are huge fans of Serena and Venus Williams.

In the message, Williams congratulated the actor on her role as Ariel and expressed her pride in Bailey's accomplishments.

“I remember going to my DMs and seeing it and just freaking out and I didn’t know what to say," Bailey said. "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.” My sister and I look up to her and her sister [Venus Williams] so much so I was dying at the interaction."

During the conversation, Halle Bailey also expressed her gratitude towards the former World No. 1 and complimented her on her beautiful family and daughter, Olympia.

She also recounted their encounter on the red carpet of the 2023 Met Gala, where they met.

“I think I ended up thanking her and telling her how beautiful her family is and how Olympia, her daughter, is so special," Bailey said. "She gave me her number and I’ve been too scared to text her because I’m like ‘what that’s Serena Williams.’ I actually just saw her at the Met and she was so kind. I met her husband [Alexis Ohanian] and I’m just so happy for her.”

On Thursday, May 25, Serena Williams took to social media to share the video of Halle Bailey speaking about her experience meeting the tennis superstar. She shared the video with two red heart emojis.

Williams' Instagram story

Serena Williams takes on a role as senior advisor for the Consello Group

Serena Williams

Serena Williams recently expanded her business portfolio by accepting a senior advisory role at Consello Group, a leading financial services advisory and strategic investing platform.

The firm is renowned for its exceptional financial services, catering to clients in the banking industry. Their services include M&A advisory, investment banking, digital assets, and business development.

Before the appointment of Williams to the advisory board of the Consello Group, the organization had two retired athletes serving on its board: NBA star Pau Gasol and NFL legend Tom Brady.