Addison Rae Easterling, known professionally as Addison Rae, emerged from the world of social media to become a multifaceted entertainer with ventures in acting and music. Born on October 6, 2000, in Lafayette, Louisiana, she is the daughter of Monty Lopez and Sheri Easterling. Her initial claim to fame arrived with the short-form video platform TikTok, which she joined in 2019. Her charismatic dance videos and relatable content quickly amassed a massive following, leading Forbes to name her the highest-earning TikTok personality in August 2020, cementing her status as a defining creator of the platform's early boom.

Leveraging her digital fame, Rae strategically expanded her career into traditional entertainment. She made her acting debut in 2021 with a leading role in the Netflix teen comedy He's All That, a modern gender-swapped remake of She's All That. This was followed by a departure into horror with a role in Eli Roth's slasher film Thanksgiving in 2023. Concurrently, she explored music, releasing her debut single "Obsessed" in 2021 and her debut EP AR in 2023. Her musical pursuits reached a new level of industry recognition in 2024 when she signed with Columbia Records.

Her first major-label single, "Diet Pepsi," marked a significant turning point, receiving critical praise and commercial success. The track was certified platinum by the RIAA and became her first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100. This momentum led to her debut studio album, Addison, in 2025. The album was a career milestone, debuting at number four on the Billboard 200 and earning widespread critical acclaim. This successful foray into music was further validated with a nomination for Best New Artist at the 68th Grammy Awards, signaling her official arrival as a respected recording artist. Addison Rae's journey illustrates a modern path to stardom, evolving from a social media sensation into an established figure in music and film.