Celebs, they really are just like us! The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey revealed that she and tennis superstar Serena Williams first became friends not via a fancy gala or exclusive celeb event, but rather via that classic communication hub… Instagram DMs.

Bailey shared all the details about those first DMs with Instagram for their series SEEN (get it?), which is all about the connections celebs and creators have made via a simple, well-timed DM. According to Bailey, it was Williams who reached out first with some sweet words of encouragement.

“She sent a really nice message, something along the lines of, ‘I’m really proud of you, keep going,’” the actor and musician explained in the new video, the iconic Disney castle right in the foreground. Bailey and her sister Chlöe had long been fans of the Williams sisters, so the DM was extremely special to the star. “My sister and I look up to her and her sister so much. So I was dying at the interaction.” How did she respond to such a fantastic surprise? “I think I ended up thanking her and telling her how beautiful her family is and how Olympia, her daughter, is so special.” Aww!

After that, Williams sent along her phone number, but Bailey has been too scared to text her. However, the two did reconnect at the Met Gala and got to take their burgeoning friendship out of the DMs and into real life. “I actually just saw her at the Met, and she was so kind, and I met her husband and I’m just so happy for her,” Bailey shared. The feeling is mutual, given Williams’s husband Alexis Ohanian’s recent tweets about seeing The Little Mermaid with Olympia, who loved it.

Because of this interaction, Halle Bailey is now definitely pro DMing people you admire, even if it’s just to say hi or to reach out and let them know you’re a fan of their work. “My advice? Always send a DM,” she said. “It might just get seen.”