When Outer Banks first dropped on Netflix, everyone was obsessed with the Pogues. We were looking for love triangles and treasure maps. But while the internet was busy shipping Kiara with JJ or Pope, the actress behind the character, Madison Bailey, was busy writing her own script. And honestly? It’s a way better story than anything the writers in Hollywood could’ve cooked up.
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok in the last few years, you’ve probably seen her. Mariah Linney. She isn't just "the girl in the background" of Madison’s life. She’s a powerhouse in her own right. But there is a lot of noise online right now about where they stand in 2026.
Let's get into the weeds of what’s actually happening with the Madison Bailey girlfriend situation, because the truth is a lot more nuanced than a thirty-second clip on your For You Page.
Who Exactly Is Mariah Linney?
Most people just label Mariah as an "influencer." That’s a bit of a disservice. Before she was making viral dance videos with Madison, Mariah was a beast on the basketball court. We're talking Division I athlete status here. She played as a guard for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (the 49ers, for those keeping score).
She didn't just play; she dominated. She was named "Miss Basketball" in South Carolina during high school. That kind of drive doesn't just go away when you hang up the jersey. After she graduated in 2021 with a degree in sociology, she pivoted. Hard.
Now? She’s a creative director, a streetwear aficionado, and a photographer. If you look at her Instagram, it’s not just selfies. It’s a curated aesthetic of fitted hats, Nike high-tops, and high-contrast street shots. She’s basically a walking mood board for Gen Z fashion.
The TikTok Meet-Cute
You really can't talk about them without mentioning how it started. It’s the ultimate modern romance. In May 2020, Mariah posted a video with a caption that basically said, "Just me staring at Madison Bailey."
Most of the time, celebrities ignore that stuff. Madison didn't.
She saw it. She liked it. She slid into the DMs.
The timing was wild because Madison had just come out as pansexual to her fans. She told Entertainment Tonight that she had "zero hesitation" about going public with Mariah. Within days of meeting in person—they realized they only lived twenty minutes apart at the time—Madison was meeting Mariah’s family.
That’s not a "Hollywood fling." That’s real-life fast-tracking.
The Breakup Rumors: What’s Really Going On?
Okay, let's address the elephant in the room. If you search for Madison Bailey girlfriend right now, you’re going to find a lot of "split rumors."
In 2025, things got... rocky. Or at least, that’s what the digital breadcrumbs suggested. Fans noticed the dreaded "unfollow" on Instagram. In the world of celebrity couples, unfollowing each other is basically the modern equivalent of a formal divorce filing.
Mariah posted some cryptic quotes on her Stories about "hurt" and "things not going to plan." TMZ and other outlets jumped on it immediately. For a few months, it looked like the four-year reign of this queer power couple was over.
The 2026 Reality
But here’s the thing about "breakup" news: it’s often just a snapshot of a bad week.
Relationships are messy. Even for famous people. While they haven't been as "loud" on social media as they were back in 2022, they’ve been spotted together at several low-key events. The narrative that they "hate" each other or that there’s massive beef with the Outer Banks cast (specifically the rumors about Rudy Pankow’s girlfriend, Elaine Siemek) has mostly been fueled by bored stans on Twitter rather than actual facts.
Madison has always been vocal about her mental health and her need for privacy. She’s been open about her Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) diagnosis, which she received around age 18. This matters because she’s mentioned before that she chooses to protect her peace. If that means taking her relationship offline for a while to keep it from being dissected by millions of strangers, can you blame her?
Why Their Relationship Actually Matters
It’s easy to dismiss celebrity dating as fluff. But for the LGBTQ+ community, seeing an actress at the height of her career—on one of the biggest shows in the world—just casually dating a woman is huge.
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- Visibility without the "Struggle" Narrative: Usually, queer stories in media are all about the pain of coming out. Madison and Mariah just... existed. They went to Coachella. They took road trips to San Francisco. They wore matching sneakers.
- The Pansexual Label: Madison using the word "pansexual" helped a lot of people understand that attraction isn't always about gender. It’s about the person.
- Authenticity: They weren't a PR stunt. They met on an app like everyone else.
The Style Influence
We have to talk about the clothes. Seriously.
Madison and Mariah basically redefined what a "power couple" looks like in the 2020s. It wasn't about ball gowns and tuxedos. It was about streetwear. Mariah’s influence on Madison’s style is pretty obvious if you look at their photos from 2020 versus 2024. They transitioned into this high-end, relaxed aesthetic that combines luxury brands like Tom Ford with classic Nikes.
They made being a "creative couple" a career path.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're following the Madison Bailey girlfriend saga, don't believe everything you read in a TikTok comment section. Celebrities are people who have bad days, delete apps, and go through rough patches just like anyone else.
If you want the real story, look at their creative output. Mariah is currently focusing heavily on her photography and brand collaborations with names like Adidas and the NBA. Madison is busy filming and expanding her acting portfolio beyond just the OBX world.
- Follow the work, not just the drama: Mariah’s photography is genuinely good. It’s worth a look if you’re into streetwear culture.
- Respect the "Offline" periods: If a couple stops posting for a month, it doesn't mean they’ve broken up. It might just mean they’re actually living their lives.
- Verify the source: If a "rumor" comes from a fan account with 200 followers and no screenshots, it’s probably fake.
The most important thing to remember is that Madison Bailey and Mariah Linney represent a shift in how Gen Z celebrities handle their private lives. They are transparent when they want to be, and they go dark when they need to. In a world that demands 24/7 access to your heart, that’s actually the healthiest way to handle a relationship.
For the latest updates, keep an eye on their official project announcements rather than their "Following" lists. Usually, the truth comes out in the long-form interviews, not the Instagram Stories.