[7] Bailey originally wanted to be a singer, but transitioned to acting and modeling at age 15 after suffering stage fright while singing in front of people.

[8] She began her professional acting career in 2015,[citation needed] appearing in TV series Mr. Mercedes and Constantine.

In 2018, she was cast as Wendy Hernandez, a teenage metahuman with the ability to control and manipulate the air, in the CW science fiction TV series Black Lightning, a role she played for two seasons.

Since 2020, she has portrayed Kiara "Kie" Carrera on the Netflix mystery drama Outer Banks.

[10][11] Bailey came out as pansexual in 2017, though this information became more well known in 2020 when she publicized her relationship with basketball player Mariah Linney.