All About Madison Bailey’s Girlfriend, Mariah Linney

Outer Banks star Madison Bailey has been with basketball player Mariah Linney for almost five years. Bailey confirmed their relationship in May 2020, shortly after she came out as pansexual. The two stars are both very active on social media and share a lot of adorable moments from their romance online, especially on TikTok.

In February 2023, Linney joined Bailey at the Outer Banks season 3 premiere in Los Angeles, walking with her down the red carpet. She later posted about the big night on Instagram, writing in the caption, “Being able to witness my partner be a literal shining star was such a beautiful genuine moment that i will cherish forever. I can’t be more proud & to just know this is only the beginning is insane. you shine so bright not only in my world but in so many others & seeing that play out at your first premier was unreal. i love you soso much.”

But in April 2025, fans noted the pair had unfollowed one another on Instagram, leading to breakup rumors. However, neither have confirmed a split, though they have untagged each other in certain pics as well.

Here’s everything to know about her and her relationship with Bailey so far.

Who is Mariah Linney?

Linney is originally from Goose Creek, South Carolina. Linney started playing basketball as a child and was named High School Sports Report’s Miss Basketball in the state of South Carolina when she was a senior.

After graduating from Goose Creek High School, she went on to study at UNC Charlotte where she majored in sociology, focusing on American studies and women’s and gender studies. While there, she played guard for the Charlotte 49ers. Linney graduated in 2021 and wrote a warm tribute on Instagram about her time on the team.

Aside from basketball, Linney has a number of other passions, including collecting hats and sneakers and sharing her looks online. She has over one million followers on TikTok and over 400,000 on Instagram.

And she posts about her experiments with photography.

Linney also has a big family to whom she appears to have introduced her girlfriend:

How did Bailey and Linney meet?

In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Bailey said she went and found Linney after seeing one of her videos on TikTok. They started messaging one another on Instagram.

“I was staying in a hotel in Charleston and was like, ‘Just come hang out. We can chat, chill. Everything’s closed so it’s not like we can go out anywhere,’” Bailey said. “Then she just came out to L.A.”

During a Mental Health Q&A on Lucy Hartselle’s Instagram Live in 2020, Bailey shared how coming forward about her relationship alleviated a lot of her anxieties.

“To be so transparent, especially in an industry when a lot of people want to be in my personal life, it’s nice that I can be like ‘Here’s my personal life. You can have it. It’s fine,’” she said, according to Us Weekly. “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. 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.”

How long have they been together?

Bailey revealed their relationship in a May 2020 video on TikTok in which she mouths along to a sound where someone is repeating, “I’m not falling, I’m not falling, I’m not falling.”

Then she lip-syncs to “OK, I’m falling” as Linney steps into the frame and embraces her.

In that 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Bailey said it was “very serious” between them already.

“It’s very serious,” she said. “I had zero hesitation to post on social media about it because I was like, ‘No matter what happens, you will be in my life forever.’ I care about her so much. She’s very gentle-hearted, kind, loving, and you see that in the way she loves basketball [and] her family. You see her loyalty and dedication in the things that she cares about. I think I am in love.”

In June 2024, Bailey shared a photo of them dressed up to celebrate their anniversary.

It was rumored that they split up in April 2025.

Fans noticed in late April that Bailey and Linney had stopped following one another on Instagram and seemingly untagged each other in photos. The rumors were further fueled when Linney posted some quotes on her Instagram Stories that implied more.

“Sending love to everyone whose year has not gone to plan,” one read. “Let’s remember that survival itself is an accomplishment. Your worth is not tied to ticked boxes; it’s inherent in who you are.”

A second read, “I know it hurts. I know you want to speak up, to make them feel what you felt. But you don’t have to. God sees everything.”