How Cynthia Bailey Achieved a Net Worth of $2.5 Million

Anyone who loves drama will have heard the name Cynthia Bailey. While her name has garnered national attention since her face first appeared on reality TV, the gorgeous, multi-talented celebrity is more than she seems to be when the cameras are rolling. Keep reading to see this celebrity’s net worth and everything she’s done to earn it.

Where Did Cynthia Bailey Get Her Start?

Cynthia Bailey was born and grew up in Alabama alongside her sister. She started achieving minor accomplishments as she grew up, which would later give her the knowledge and skills she would use to become a highly recognizable reality television star. These include being elected the first African American homecoming queen at her high school and participating in beauty pageants.

Although the beauty wasn’t wildly successful in her pageants, they allowed Bailey to break into the fashion world. After seeing Cynthia participate in one of her pageants, a scout from the Wilhelmina Modeling agency connected with the up-and-coming model. After an 18-year-old Bailey saved enough money, she moved to New York City, where her lucrative career took off.

How Did Cynthia Bailey Do as an African American Model?

In a piece featured on CNN, Bailey explains that her career took off shortly after signing her five-year deal with the Wilhemina Models agency. She was then featured on her first cover of Essence magazine. Years later, she’d repost that gorgeous photo featured in an article on BravoTV.com.

Once that cover hit the market, Bailey’s opportunities rolled in. She remembers being able to:

Participate in couture shows in Paris
Appear in Macy’s commercials
Be featured in Oil of Olay advertisements
Represent Maybelline

One of the model’s pivotal moments was when she was asked by iconic Iman to be photographed alongside Tyra Banks, Beverly Johnson, and Naomi Campbell for Vanity Fair. It marked the first time the world-renowned Annie Leibovitz photographed the model.

Bailey made other appearances on the covers of Glamour, Vogue, and Elle magazines. She also appeared a second time on the cover of Essence.

The model took the opportunity to appear in TV ads for Levis, Macy’s, Mercedes Benz, and more. These opportunities and more have allowed Cynthia to cash some big paychecks over the years.

Everything Got Bigger for Cynthia Bailey With The Real Housewives of Atlanta

It isn’t often that a famous, successful model can reinvent themselves in such a unique way, but that’s exactly what Bailey did. At first, the model didn’t want to join the cast because of the drama, but she changed her mind when she realized she could turn her newfound role into a business opportunity. So in 2010, she joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta and remained there through 2021.

While the show was there to catch every dramatic moment on camera, the focus on Bailey’s friendship with NeNe Leakes and her relationship with Peter Thomas dominated the screen time. The show televised every over-the-top and sensational moment, but Cynthia slowly became the representation of calmness and class.

Once she left The Real Housewives cast, she didn’t stay off small screens for long. She signed on to join the cast of Celebrity Big Brother as its latest house guest in 2022. Between the Housewives and Big Brother, there’s a lot of money for everyone involved to make, including Cynthia Bailey.

The Model and Reality TV Star Is Also an Actress

While Bailey had been modeling and starring in reality tv shows, she also quietly but firmly set her sights on evolving as an actress. So each time she’s featured in a video or movie, she can demand a nice paycheck.

Like many supermodels of her time, Bailey was hired to be featured in music videos. Her appearances include:

New Order’s Round and Round in 1989
Heavy D & The Boyz’s Nuttin’ But Love in 1994
Jaheim’s Videos for Age Ain’t a Factor, Babyx3, and Chase Forever in 2013

The number of television series and movies the multi-talented star may surprise you. These include:

The Dark Power as Tammie in 1985
Without You I’m Nothing as Roxanne in 1990
The Cosby Show as Sheniquah Watkins in 1990
For Love or Money as a Model in 1993
New York Undercover as Masseuse #2 in 1995
Life Twirls On as CeeCee in 2015
Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens as Tech Addison in 2016
Last Call as Eloise in 2019
Star as Tasha Rae in 2019
Tales as Salley in 2019
Games People Play as Ndasia in 2021
The Housewives of the North Pole as herself in 2021
Single Drunk Female as Noreen in 2022
Cruel Instruction as Karen Adams in 2022
The Stepmother as Vanessa in 2022
Chibiverse as Chip in 2022
Terror Lake Drive as Rose in 2022
Blossom as Doris Rowell in 2023
Under His Influence as Ashley in 2023

The actress has also appeared on talk shows and other entertainment platforms. For a complete list of Cynthia Bailey appearing as herself, check out IMDB.com.

The breadth of Cynthia’s acting credits is more significant than most people realize. This contributes to the money she can rake in at this point in her career, making it a sizable amount.

Cynthia Bailey and The Bailey Agency

Bailey started the Cynthia Bailey Agency to bring her experience, knowledge, and expertise to the fashion and modeling worlds. Under her agency, people can:

Attend the Bailey Agency School of Fashion: If accepted, you’ll learn all about fashion, modeling, and everything you’ll need to be successful.
Cynthia Bailey Eyewear: High-quality eyewear is closer than ever with Bailey’s luxury frames. When you buy them, your purchase will be part of the 10% of proceeds donated to charity every month.
Cargo Collection: Comfort, function, and style come together in this clothing line from Bailey.
Cynthia Bailey Model Search: In a combined effort with the Peter Thomas Entertainment Group, Bailey is searching for the next male and female supermodels.

For more information about any of the options under The Bailey Agency, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.

Money Means a Beautiful Lake House and Car Upgrade

Bailey’s life has gone through changes over the years, and in 2016, she sold her vast 4,500-square-foot home in Atlanta for $699,000. She then purchased a new home for $960,000, a lakeside cottage with 4.262 square feet just a short commute outside Atlanta. Velvet Ropes features photos of the property for readers to enjoy.

According to Bravo TV, the star also upgraded her beloved 2016 Land Rover to a new one in 2021. She named her car “Patience” because she had to wait three months for it to arrive.

Cynthia’s career shows she’s a hard worker and has earned enough to indulge in her home and vehicle. That being said, she’s got to have an impressive overall net worth.

Social Media Presence

Bailey is active on social media, which allows her to announce new projects and connect with fans. An online presence usually offers more opportunities to make money and stay in the limelight. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter for the latest on what’s going on in her life.

What Is Cynthia Bailey’s Net Worth?

Every step of this star’s career has made her plenty of money. Cynthia Bailey’s net worth is an estimated $2.5 million. Even though she began her career in modeling, it’s clear that she branched out and kept evolving into acting and entrepreneurship over the years. Cynthia Bailey is a woman who deserves every dollar she’s made.