Disney forced to cut a bulge from The Little Mermaid after spotting overexcited character in background of key scene

DISNEY was forced to cut a bulge from The Little Mermaid after someone spotted an overexcited character in the background of a key scene.

The 1989 animated film follows titular mermaid Ariel as she dreams of becoming a human, before falling in love with human Prince Eric.

One scene sees the Prince duped into heading down the aisle with the film's villain Ursula, who is in disguise as a human who bears a striking resemblance to Ariel.

As the couple meet at the altar, the officiating minister seems to be a bit overexcited about the proceedings, with a bulge visible below his robes.

While it turns out it's actually his knee that is causing the white material to protrude outwards.

However, this didn't stop Disney from removing the shot from the film, especially as one unimpressed viewer attempted to sue them in 1995 because of it.

The lawsuit said: "During a scene in the movie where two of the characters are to be married by a clergyman dressed as a priest, the movement of the priest’s garments in the area of his crotch suggests that the priest is getting an erection as the bride and groom approach the altar.

"The depiction of this ‘event’ is visible at regular speed on the home video, but is even more noticeable when viewed in slow motion or frame-by-frame."

While the lawsuit was eventually dropped, it isn't the only phallic-related issue that has arisen with The Little Mermaid.

Disney also changed the cover of the original home entertainment video for the film after people accused them of adding a penis in the background.