Even before Disney announced that they cast Halle Bailey as their live-action Ariel, the multitalented young star was making a name for herself in Hollywood. With an impressive resume that includes film, television and music, people are curious about Halle Bailey’s net worth. How much will it increase with The Little Mermaid? Read on to find out.
Born on March 27, 2000, in Atlanta, Georgia, Halle Bailey was a talented songstress from a young age. Before she became a Disney princess, she was best known as one half of the musical sister duo Chlöe x Halle. Halle admits to literally following in her older sibling’s footsteps, telling The Face in a 2023 interview, “Chlöe would sing, I would sing, Chlöe would dance, I would dance.” It turned out the girls were triple threats in the making. They began modeling and acting early on, landing small roles in movies like the 2006 Queen Latifah-led Christmas rom-com Last Holiday. Chlöe even played a young version of Beyoncé Knowles’ character Lilly in 2003’s The Fighting Temptations.
Chlöe x Halle became internet sensations in 2011 when they uploaded their a cappella cover of Beyoncé’s “Best Thing I Never Had” to their YouTube channel. They were invited to The Ellen Show in 2012, then that December, the pair won Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing, earning them a guest appearance on Disney Channel’s Austin & Ally in 2013.
With all this success, Halle and Chlöe left their native Atlanta to move to Los Angeles with their parents, Courtney and Doug, and two other siblings, Ski and Branson. They had roles in Joyful Noise and Let It Shine but the real catalyst to stardom came in 2015 when another Beyoncé cover went viral. Queen Bey herself posted the video of their rendition of “Pretty Hurts” to her socials.
As of May 2023, Halle Bailey’s net worth is estimated to be $1 million, while Chlöe’s is $2 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. A hefty sum likely stems from their illustrious musical endeavors but Chlöe might bring in a little more cash since she’s had a few more acting roles than her sister. In 2018, they were cast as twins Jazz and Sky Forster on Freeform’s Grown-ish, a spinoff of Black-ish starring Yara Shahidi. That year, Chlöe x Halle released their first studio album The Kids Are Alright, which earned them two Grammy nominations for Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best New Artist. Their song “Grown” became the series’ theme song, and in the show’s second season, both were promoted to series regulars and were mainstays until the end of season four when their characters left for college. Halle received a 2020 NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sky.
Beyoncé was so impressed by Chlöe x Halle’s YouTube covers that her management company Parkwood Entertainment extended a 5-year, six-album contract offer to the teens. The Bailey sisters always had acting and modeling but the real bucks came rolling in with the record deal reportedly worth $1 million. Plus, it’s fair to assume they received decent paychecks from touring with Beyoncé in 2016 and 2018. Also in 2016, the duo appeared on Michelle Obama’s charity song “This Is for My Girls” and were invited to open for the White House Easter Egg Roll. And as if that wasn’t enough excitement, the Beyoncé protégés joined their mentor for her widely popular Lemonade visual album.
In addition to their sophomore album Ungodly Hour in 2020, Chlöe x Halle were in campaigns for big-name fashion houses like Fendi and Louis Vuitton. And in March 2021, they became the first musicians to be brand ambassadors for Neutrogena. Halle also opened her own Etsy store called Hallelujah Jewelry to sell handmade necklaces and bracelets. Unsurprisingly, everything sold out in less than a day. As of 2023, she has yet to restock but considering the superstar’s been a little busy, we’ll cut her some slack.
By 2022, Halle and Chlöe moved into their own places, the latter of which was featured in Architectural Digest that year. However, the sisters aren’t too far away from each other. “Our apartments are in the same building on different floors,” she told The Face in February 2023. If Halle’s digs are anything like Chlöe’s, her space is surely just as chic.
With the release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid set for May 26, 2023, Halle Bailey’s net worth will skyrocket sooner rather than later. According to Showbiz Galore, she was reportedly paid $1.5 million to don the tail and seashells, though some news outlets reported slightly more modest earnings of $500,000. Despite the online backlash about casting a Black Ariel, this project made Halle Bailey a household name, especially among young Disney fans. The highly anticipated film’s box office projections for its 2023 Memorial Day weekend release are $110 million. Early reactions praised Bailey’s performance with Variety’s Jazz Tangcay saying the singer-actress was “absolutely extraordinary.”
Halle Bailey and her wildly successful career show no signs of slowing down any time soon. Her next significant role is in the musical version of The Color Purple which is sure to bring her even more recognition and an enviable net worth.
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