Halle Bailey on Her Fairy-Tale Romance with Rapper DDG: Young Love Is 'Transformative' (Exclusive)
The star plays a love-struck Princess Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid, in theaters May 26
Halle Bailey knows a thing or two about love, onscreen and off.
The 23-year-old star is set to hit theaters later this month as Princess Ariel in Disney's highly anticipated live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid. And she is bursting at the seams with excitement about bringing the iconic young-love story to life.
"I truly think this movie does a wonderful job of telling the story of what it means to nourish and honor true love and genuine friendship," Bailey tells PEOPLE during an exclusive sit-down for this week's issue.
In the new film, "You get to see the backstories of both Ariel and Eric and dive deep into both of their brains a little bit more. They go on this whimsical journey of finding love with each other."
In real life, Bailey admits she's currently on a bit of a whimsical journey herself with her boyfriend, rapper Darryl "DDG" Grandberry Jr., 25. The two made their relationship public on social media back in 2022 and he's been her red-carpet companion ever since.
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Asked whether DDG has the makings of a real Prince Charming (or Prince Eric, for that matter), Bailey offers a sweet smile and a laugh. "People love to talk about this," she says, before adding, "Yeah. I would say that."
For his part, the rapper is beyond smitten. "I've never been with nobody that's, like, really motivated me like she do," he said during a recent interview on The Breakfast Club, adding that he could see himself proposing "eventually."
Bailey seems to be enjoying life and love as it is right now. "I think the best thing about young love is that you're able to continue to find yourself through this journey of loving somebody else," she says. "And you're discovering new parts of yourself and maybe things that you didn't notice before about your heart."
Adds the star, "I feel like things change when love gets more involved in your life. I have definitely discovered more within myself as a woman. …It's a really cool thing to go through, but a transformative experience."
As for the fictional love fans can look forward to seeing onscreen between Bailey and Prince Eric actor Jonah Hauer-King, "It's beautiful," she says. "It shows two different worlds can come together, be happy and prosper and live in harmony."
For more on Halle Bailey's life and Little Mermaid transformation, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
The Little Mermaid is in theaters May 26.
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