'Outer Banks' Star Madison Bailey Said The Most Beautiful Thing About Coming Out

Madison Bailey is out, y'all, and she's totally thriving. During an Instagram Live "Mental Health Q&A" with fellow actor Lacy Hartselle on June 17, the Outer Banks star talked about her decision to open up to fans, and Madison Bailey's quote about coming out as pansexual is seriously inspiring. "Being open and honest feels so good!" she said. "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.'"

ICYMI, Bailey first spoke about her sexuality in a TikTok posted on May 25, explaining that she's attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender identity. "Nobody knows what pansexual means," she wrote in a caption while "I Like Him" by Princess Nokia played in the background. "Girls. Boys. Trans boys. Trans girls. Nonbinary babies. It's what's on the inside, boo."

Then, in a June 10 TikTok vid, Bailey introduced her new partner, University of North Carolina at Charlotte basketball player Mariah Linney, whom she apparently met on TikTok during quarantine. According to Bailey, coming out has made her feel so much "lighter" and "happier," and she doesn't have any regrets.

Having a strong support system has made all the difference for the actor. "I have very accepting friends, a very accepting family, an industry that's very welcoming and very accepting," Bailey said during during the IG Live Q&A. However, she noted that many people aren't as lucky. "I feel zero shame, and I don't feel that way because nobody’s ever really shamed me, and I know a lot of people have had lot of hate and lack of support," she continued. "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."

Bailey even shared her theory that no one is 100% straight. "If you're gay, tell everybody that you're gay. It's worth it," she said. "I was saying this the other day. I was like, to be honest, I don't believe in straight people. They're as real as unicorns to me."

Bailey couldn't be happier with her decision, and I couldn't be happier for her and her new boo. Keep shining, Madison!