Massey first appeared at the Haymarket Theatre in London in July 1867, playing the role of Mary Meredith in Our American Cousin, but later gained attention in her 1871 performance as Fatima in Blue Beard at the Covent Garden Theatre.

[2] Her New York debut was in February 1869, in The Field of the Cloth of Gold at Wood's Museum.

[3] Massey played a number of roles opposite actor Henry James Montague, whom she followed to the United States and later sued in 1875 for breach of promise to marry.

[5][6][7][8] In addition to her liaison with Montague, Massey also had a relationship with Alex Henderson (1828-1886) (spouse of burlesque producer Lydia Thompson).

[9] Massey died of consumption in New York on July 23, 1883 and is buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.