Rumors recently surfaced that 'The Little Mermaid' star broke up with the YouTuber after drama on social media.
With two highly anticipated film releases dropping in the same year, Halle Bailey is prioritizing her privacy as her star shines brighter every day.
In conversation with Glamour for their May cover story, the 23-year-old shared how she strives to ensure the attention doesn't overwhelm her as fans gear up for the release of The Little Mermaid on May 26 and The Color Purple on Dec. 25.
"Mentally, sometimes it's really difficult being in this industry," she tells the outlet, "knowing that there are so many opinions [about] you and what you're doing, or what you should be or what you could be doing better. People sometimes put you on this pedestal. They forget that you're a real human being. They forget that you have feelings, that you cry."
This is especially true when it comes to her private life, which has come under scrutiny as Bailey opened up about her relationship with YouTuber and rapper DDG. The duo first sparked romance rumors in January 2022 before confirming their relationship when the 25-year-old -- born Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr. and also known professionally as PontiacMadeDDG -- posted a romantic birthday tribute to Bailey on Instagram that March.
While the couple has openly praised one another in interviews and shared affectionate videos via Instagram and TikTok that showcase their growing relationship, they've been the subject of rumors and speculation of breakups at least twice in recent months.
"It's really funny how people look at you [as] still being this young girl, still being this innocent, untouchable thing," Bailey tells Glamour. "I appreciate that as I venture into adulthood, I'm able to make my own decisions." And when it comes to the details of her personal life, one of those decisions is discretion. "For my peace and my sanity, I have to keep that private," she adds.
@hallebailey singing lessons with @DDG ♬ original sound - halle
Despite Bailey's best efforts, her relationship with DDG has been spotlighted more than once. In February, social media drama between DDG and his ex-girlfriend, Rubi Rose, made headlines when the latter called out Bailey wearing a shirt design Rose was previously spotted in back in 2020. DDG and Rose engaged in a back-and-forth on Twitter in now-deleted tweets, which included Rose posting a screenshot of alleged DMs with DDG, in which he seemed to be trying to meet up while dating Bailey.
DDG claimed the screenshot wasn't real, at one point calling Rose "a wannabe Ice Spice," and Bailey chimed in, writing in a since-deleted tweet, "[The] devil is working. lol please don't feed into the lies, especially from a third party. stay blessed everyone."
The couple dismissed the speculation when they were later spotted in Paris together.
More recently, rumors of a breakup were sparked when fans claimed to expose DDG's alleged "burner" account, which was responding negatively to tweets about Bailey and her Little Mermaid co-star, Jonah Hauer-King, who stars as Prince Eric in the live-action adaptation.
Fans then discovered that both parties don't follow one another on Twitter or Instagram, and the rapper scrubbed his Instagram account clean of Bailey's existence after DDG deleted a tweet praising The Little Mermaid that Bailey quote tweeted.
The rumors resulted in the Twitter blog The Pop Tingz sharing a report about the couple's speculated split, taking a dig at the Michigan-born personality by describing him as an "E-list rapper."
While neither star has publicly addressed the rumors outright -- although the rapper made a TikTok video on how "people" want him to react -- the two seemingly have no hard feelings. DDG showed support for the actress during a recent live stream, where he watched Bailey's live performance of The Little Mermaid's "Part of Your World" during an episode of American Idol.
In a video of the live stream, DDG sings along to the lyrics and does his best to match Bailey's vocal runs. Whatever their relationship status, it's clear that DDG is supporting the new Disney princess as she basks in the spotlight!
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