Who Is Mariah Linney? Meet ‘Outer Banks’ Star Madison Bailey’s Longtime Girlfriend

Ever since Outer Banks star Madison Bailey revealed she’s pansexual  in 2020, fans wanted to learn more about her girlfriend, Mariah Linney, and where the couple stand today.

Mariah Linney Is a Former Basketball Player

While Madison may be all about acting, Mariah is all about Sports. The South Carolina native played for the women’s basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Mariah mused about her collegiate basketball career coming to an end in a March 2021 Instagram post and what the future held.

“As my basketball career comes to a halt, I want to thank everyone who believed and supported me through this journey. I never thought i would see the day basketball came to an end for me because it was my dream growing up to play professionally but I am ready to take the next step in my life and find my other passion,” she began in the caption.

“All I have known my whole life is basketball since the day I was born … it brings tears to my eyes to finally see it end, but it has been a dream come true to have made it this far,” she added.

Mariah came out of retirement several times to play exhibition games for the Creator League, a sports league for content creators.

How Did Madison Bailey and Mariah Linney Meet?

Mariah made a TikTok video gushing over Madison, in May 2020, which ended up catching the actress’ attention. “Just me staring at Madison Bailey,” Mariah captioned the clip, which featured her looking mesmerizingly at the camera.

When Did Madison Bailey and Mariah Linney Reveal They Were Dating?

The two confirmed their romance in June 2020 when Mariah shared another TikTok video, which featured a snippet of Ariana Grande‘s “7 Rings” lyrics. “I see it/ I like it/ I want it/ I got it (yeah)” was the excerpt of the song that played as photos of the actress were displayed before Madison herself appeared in the clip.

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What Did Madison Bailey Say About Coming Out?

A couple days after she became exclusive with Mariah, Madison spoke candidly about being pansexual.

“I feel zero shame, and I don’t feel that way because nobody’s ever really shamed me for it and I know a lot of people have had lot of hate and lack of support,” she shared during a Mental Health Q&A with Lacy Hartselle on June 17. “I know so many, countless stories of queer people that did not have support. But if you’re asking me personally, that’s just my experience with it. It was worth it. I feel lighter, I feel happier that I can just be so open and honest. It feels nice.”

Madison Bailey and Mariah Linney Are Still Going Strong

The women frequently share loved-up photos together on their social media. Madison gushed about her longtime girlfriend in a February 2024 Instagram post, writing, “It’s my angels 25th!! Happy birthday to my best friend, my peace, and my joy. I love you.”

Madison and Mariah have posed on plenty of red carPets over the years and attended numerous fashion events, including shows at Paris and New York Fashion Weeks. The ladies posed together on the red carPet of Outer Banks season 3‘s premiere in 2023, and season 4’s premiere in October 2024.