Table of Contents
Latest News: Halle Bailey Discusses the Birth of Her Son, Halo
Halle Bailey has opened up for the first time about the birth of her son, Halo, in December 2023. In a heartfelt statement, the 23-year-old singer and actress explained her decision to keep her pregnancy private, emphasizing the importance of having a “beautiful, private, healthy time” during that phase of her life. Despite ongoing speculation from fans and the media, Bailey and her boyfriend, rapper DDG, kept the news under wraps until the official announcement in an Instagram post on January 6, 2024.
Bailey has much to celebrate beyond her new role as a mother. Her latest film, The Color Purple, premiered on Christmas Day 2023, and she received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song for her track “Angel.” The song, released in August 2023, is part of her upcoming debut solo album.
Who Is Halle Bailey?
Halle Bailey is a multi-talented artist known both as a singer and an actress. She gained prominence as one half of the Grammy-nominated duo Chloe x Halle, alongside her sister Chlöe Bailey. The duo rose to fame through YouTube music videos and winning the Radio Disney competition Next Big Thing. They’ve been nominated for five Grammy Awards, including nods for Best Urban Contemporary Album for The Kids Are Alright (2018) and Best Progressive R&B Album for Ungodly Hour (2020). Halle’s solo career is also gaining recognition, with her 2024 Grammy nomination for “Angel.”
Bailey has also made her mark in acting, with notable roles including Sky Forster on Grown-ish, Ariel in Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, and a supporting role in the 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker.
Early Life, Parents, and Siblings
Halle Lynn Bailey was born on March 27, 2000, in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in the nearby suburb of Mableton. Her parents, Courtney and Doug Bailey, instilled a love for the arts in Halle and her three siblings—older sisters Ski and Chlöe, and younger brother Branson.
Interestingly, Halle’s name was partly inspired by iconic actress Halle Berry. In a 2023 interview, Bailey shared that her parents had initially considered naming her Hailey, but decided against it due to the similarity to their last name. Instead, they chose Halle, a name Bailey proudly shares with her famous namesake.
Halle’s passion for performing began at a young age, inspired by watching her sister Chlöe sing and act. Their first performance together was at Spelman College’s summer camp when Halle was just five years old. Her early acting credits include commercials and a role in the 2006 film Last Holiday alongside Queen Latifah. She also appeared in Tyler Perry’s sitcom House of Payne in 2007.
Despite early acting success, Halle and Chlöe’s primary focus became music. With no prior connections to the entertainment industry, their father began teaching them songwriting when they were just eight and ten years old. The sisters also honed their instrumental skills by learning from YouTube tutorials, with Halle mastering the electric guitar. Influenced by artists like Lenny Kravitz and Jimi Hendrix, the two began performing locally in Atlanta. In 2012, the family made the pivotal decision to move to Los Angeles to pursue their musical ambitions full-time, a move that ultimately launched Halle and Chlöe into stardom.
Chloe x Halle: A Journey to Stardom
Chloe x Halle, the musical duo composed of sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey, first captured the spotlight with their captivating cover performances on YouTube. Beginning in 2011, at the ages of 11 and 13, the pair began uploading renditions of popular songs, with their first viral video being a cover of Beyoncé’s “Best Thing I Never Had,” filmed by their older sister, Ski. Their 2013 rendition of Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts” gained widespread attention, amassing over 22 million views.
The sisters began to gain more exposure when they appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in April 2012. That same year, they won the Radio Disney music competition Next Big Thing and appeared on the Disney Channel series Austin & Ally. Their performance of the original song “Unstoppable” on Austin & Ally in 2013 further expanded their visibility.
In 2014, the duo caught the attention of none other than Beyoncé, who shared their “Pretty Hurts” cover on her Facebook page. A year later, Chloe x Halle signed a $1 million contract with Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment label, marking the beginning of their professional music careers. They appeared in Beyoncé’s Lemonade music video in 2016, and soon after released their debut EP, Sugar Symphony. The duo also served as the opening act during the European leg of Beyoncé’s Formation Tour.
With the backing of one of the music industry’s biggest stars, Chloe x Halle released The Two of Us in 2017, which Rolling Stone recognized as one of the year’s best R&B albums. Their single “Grown,” written for the Freeform series Grown-ish, became a hit and set the stage for more recognition. In 2018, the duo’s album The Kids Are Alright earned Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album. They performed “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl LIII in 2019.
Their 2020 album, Ungodly Hour, became even more successful, with the single “Do It” becoming their first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. The duo also earned three additional Grammy nominations in 2021 for Best R&B Song, Best Progressive R&B Album, and Best Traditional R&B Performance.
In recent years, Chloe and Halle began focusing on their individual projects, with both sisters maintaining active Instagram profiles and pursuing solo endeavors. Despite this, they have continued to appear together for special performances and brand sponsorships, and as of August 2023, have confirmed plans for a third Chloe x Halle album.
Acting Careers: From Grown-ish to The Little Mermaid and The Color Purple
In addition to their musical pursuits, both Chloe and Halle have also showcased their acting talents. The sisters starred as twin sisters Sky (Halle) and Jazz Forster in the hit Freeform dramedy Grown-ish. Halle’s portrayal of Sky earned her an NAACP Image Awards nomination in 2020, and Chloe often praised her sister’s natural acting ability, describing how she could forget they were acting because of Halle’s authenticity.
Halle’s acting career expanded further when she was cast as Ariel in Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid (2023). Her casting stirred some controversy, with certain fans voicing objections to a Black actress portraying the iconic Disney princess. Despite the backlash, Halle found strength in the support from her family, particularly her grandparents, who reminded her of the impact she was making for Black and brown girls who would see themselves represented in Ariel. The film was met with positive reviews, with particular praise for Halle’s vocal performance and the original song “For the First Time,” which she performed for the soundtrack.
Following The Little Mermaid, Halle starred in The Color Purple (2023), a musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg. Halle portrayed young Nettie, opposite Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, and co-wrote and performed the song “Keep It Movin’” for the film, which was inspired by her close relationship with her sister, Chloe.
Chloe x Halle continue to break barriers in both music and film, solidifying their place as two of the most promising young talents in entertainment. Their journey reflects a combination of dedication, resilience, and artistry that has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide.
Solo Music Career
Amid her burgeoning acting career, Bailey has continued to pursue her passion for music, releasing the single “Angel” in August 2023. This track serves as the lead single for her highly anticipated debut studio album. “Angel” earned Bailey a 2024 Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song, marking her first Grammy recognition as a solo artist. Although Bailey had initially planned to release her EP by the end of 2023, it has yet to be made available. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, she described the project as deeply emotional and vulnerable, noting, “It’s also a love letter to myself and my younger self and my future self.”
Boyfriend DDG and Son
Bailey is currently in a relationship with 26-year-old rapper Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr., better known as DDG. The couple made their public debut as a pair in January 2022 when they were seen together at Usher’s residency in Las Vegas, confirming their relationship in March of the same year. In December 2023, they welcomed their first child together, a son named Halo.
Like Bailey, DDG began his career in the digital space, uploading videos to YouTube before signing with Epic Records in 2018 and founding his own label, Zooted Music, in 2020. Bailey has shared that she was a long-time admirer of his music before they connected through social media. She also made a cameo in his 2022 music video for “If I Want You.”
The couple has garnered media attention for various reasons. In July 2023, DDG appeared to reference Bailey’s press tour for The Little Mermaid in his song “Famous,” with lyrics that many speculated referred to a photo of Bailey holding hands with co-star Jonah Hauer-King: “Why is y’all holdin’ hands in the photo? You know I’m insecure, that’s a no-no.” Later that year, rumors surfaced that Bailey might be pregnant after she wore a form-fitting black-and-white dress to the Glamour Women of the Year Awards in October. The couple remained tight-lipped on the speculation until January 6, 2024, when Bailey confirmed the birth of Halo on Instagram. In a YouTube video posted shortly thereafter, DDG praised Bailey as a “great mom,” expressing, “I wouldn’t choose no other person in the world to have a child with.”