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August 26, 2025 7 mins
# From Dance Studio to Global Superstar: The Addison Rae Story

In this captivating episode, we explore the remarkable journey of Addison Rae Easterling from her humble beginnings in Louisiana to becoming one of social media's most influential personalities. Discover how dance became her sanctuary amid family instability, setting the foundation for her meteoric rise on TikTok in 2019. We trace her evolution from viral sensation to multi-faceted entertainer, including her ventures into music with her debut album "Addison," acting roles in Netflix's "He's All That," business initiatives like Item Beauty, and high-profile collaborations with brands such as American Eagle and Reebok.

Learn how Addison navigated the challenges of sudden fame, transformed her online popularity into mainstream success, and cultivated relationships with celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian while managing personal controversies. This comprehensive biography reveals the strategic moves that helped her transcend the "TikToker" label to establish herself as a resilient entertainment powerhouse with 88+ million followers and a lasting cultural impact.

Subscribe now for this intimate look at one of Gen Z's most fascinating success stories and the evolving landscape of digital celebrity.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Addison Ray Eastling was born on October sixth two thousand,
in Lafayette, Louisiana, to parents Monte Lopez and Sherry Easterling.
Speaking and performing before she turned one year old, Addison's
early childhood was rich with expressive moments, from singing along
to popular children's shows to joining her first dance classes

(00:31):
at age six. Dance became a core part of her upbringing.
She trained in ballet, jazz, and contemporary, later joining Louisiana's
prestigious Shreveport Dance Academy, where she also participated in cheerleading
and gymnastics. Amid the instability caused by her parents' tumultuous
marriage and frequent relocations, Addison used dance as a sanctuary.

(00:55):
She described performing as a way to escape chaos, finding
solace and movement in music introduced to her by her
dance teachers, who played tracks from icons like Madonna, Lady Gaga,
and Britney Spears. As she developed her talents, Addison competed
regularly as a dancer, which helped her build a sense
of discipline and a comfort in the spotlight. Addison attended

(01:16):
Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, graduating in twenty nineteen. She
briefly studied broadcast journalism at Louisiana State University, envisioning a
future as a sports reporter, a plan she saw is
a practical way to break into the entertainment industry. Her
andition in this direction was short lived, however, because Addison
joined TikTok in July twenty nineteen, just after finishing high school,

(01:37):
posting short dance videos that quickly captured attention online. Her
style was characterized by a relatable, approachable energy which resonated
with people beyond just her dance skills. Early acceptance and
rapid growth on the platform led Addison to drop out
of LSU after only three months. Her burgeoning fame on
TikTok e SIPs in the past she had planned in journalism.

(01:59):
Within months, Addison was one of the first tik Tok
creators to surpass a million followers, establishing herself as a
viral sensation. By late twenty nineteen, she had joined the
Hype House, an influencer collective in Los Angeles, where she
collaborated with other rising stars like Charlie Demelio, Chase Hudson,
and Dixie Dmelio. The hype House allowed Addison to diversify

(02:21):
her content, cross promote with other influencers, and build her brand.
Her audience grew across platforms including Instagram and YouTube, where
her relatability contributed to a highly engaged fan base. By
June twenty twenty five, Addison amassed over eighty eight million

(02:44):
tik Tok followers, making her one of the platform's most
recognized faces and the fifth most followed creator overall. Addison's
meteoric rise led to lucrative partnerships with leading brands such
as American Eagle, Reebok, Hollister, and Lareel. According to Forbes,
Addison earned five million dollars in the year ending in

(03:04):
June twenty twenty, making her the highest earning TikTok star
at the time. By leveraging her influence, she set trends
in youth fashion, such as the resurgence of naval piercings,
and became a fixture at events like the NBA All
Star Weekend, collaborating with figures ranging from beauty influencers James
Charles and Mackenzie Ziegler to mainstream celebrities. Beyond commercial deals,

(03:28):
Addison's media presence expanded rapidly. In January twenty twenty, she
signed with talent agency WNE and soon launched a podcast,
Mama Knows Best, co hosted with her mother, Sherry, which
detailed their personal history and career experiences. The show later
evolved into That Was Fun, delving deeper into the dynamics

(03:49):
of their mother daughter relationship and reflecting on Addison's journey.
Her transition from social media celebrity to mainstream entertainment was
marked by high h profile ventures in music and film.
In March twenty twenty one, Addison released her debut single, Obsessed,
which served as her first foray into the recording industry.

(04:10):
Though critics and fans were lukewarm to the song, Addison
credited the act of recording itself as a significant milestone,
stating the experience was more about proving she could do
it rather than the initial reception. Her persistence paid off,
and she continued to expand her musical ambitions. Early studio
experiments and unreleased demos gave her fans a sense of

(04:31):
involvement in her creative process. By twenty twenty five, Addison
released her debut studio album, titled Addison under Columbia Records,
featuring Y two K Dash inspired dance pop ballads and
avant garde synthpop. The album earned praise for its energy
and creativity, cementing her transformation into a bonafide pop artist.

(04:54):
This campaign has been everywhere and doubled the delight for
Syria singles, which as Diapepsi and Headphones On, enjoyed commercial
success and helped redefine her public persona. Addison's acting career
began in twenty twenty one when she starred as Paget
Sayer in the Netflix film He's All That, a reimagining
of the nineteen ninety nineteen classic She's All That. Although

(05:18):
the film received mixed to negative reviews critically, according to
Rotten Tomatoes, it scored poorly, the movie was a streaming powerhouse,
quickly topping Netflix's charts during its initial release week. Its
popularity led to Addison signing a multimillion dollar multi picture
deal with Netflix, granting her financial freedom and the ability
to take a step back from constant social media content.

(05:41):
She later starred in the twenty twenty three horror film Thanksgiving,
further showcasing her willingness to experiment with dive worst genres.
Addison also appeared on the reality show Keeping Up with
the Kardashians and cultivated a high profile friendship with Courtney Kardashian,
amplifying her celebrity status than traditional media circles. Business ventures

(06:04):
became another pillar of Addison's career. In August twenty twenty,
she launched item Beauty at the peak of the celebrity
beauty brand craze. Despite her enthusiasm, this foury into cosmetics
ultimately failed to capture the authenticity that drew fans to her.
Item Beauty was discontinued in twenty twenty three. Undeterred, Addison

(06:24):
founded a fragrance line that found greater success, earning recognition
for its innovative fulfillment of her brand image. Addison was
also featured as a playable character in the mobile video
game War of the Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius in
twenty twenty two, signaling her cross market appeal. Throughout her journey,
Addison's personal life often played out in the public eye.

(06:46):
She has two younger brothers, Enzo and Lucas, and her
family features in several collaborative projects, including their group TikTok
account the Ray Family. Addison's early relationship with fellow TikTok
star Bryce Hall drew intense scrutiny and online drama, especially
after rapper Lil Yati mentioned her in his song E

(07:06):
E R, sparking a feud. Later, Addison began dating Israeli
guitarist Omer Fetti in twenty twenty one, establishing connections with
musicians and creators that further diversified her profile. Not all
attention was positive. Addison has faced controversy, such as wearing
a bikini collaboration between Adidas and Prey featuring Christian religious phrases,

(07:30):
which drew backlash online and led her to remove the post.
Despite frequent criticism and viral compilations of embarrassing moments from
her career, Addison quiet, please dot ai hear what matters
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