Anderson was born in Dallas, Texas to a woman named Pamela (not to be confused with Pamela Anderson). She was raised in a Pentecostal household and has stated that, although those beliefs are at odds with her identity, they instilled in her a desire to "question everything."
Colby learned about drag after watching the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. She left home at 15, citing the toxic environment created by her family as her reason for leaving. She couch-surfed, mostly in Dallas's Oak Lawn neighborhood (the city's gayborhood) and made a number of friends that took care of her after leaving home. Colby has stated that many of the people who took care of her were much older, and it led to abusive relationships.
On Monét X Change's podcast, Monét Talks, Colby recounted her experience with a particularly important figure in her life. While resting at a train station after being kicked out, a stranger of El Salvadorian descent named Manuel recognized her from her social media posts and offered to help her. Colby states this person took her in until she was eighteen and was pivotal in helping her finish school and find work. In an interview with Michelle Visage, she stated "[he was] completely my angel... I would not have made it."
In March 2022, she was one of several drag queens to be featured in Jennifer Lopez's performance at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. In May, her nomination for Best Viral Moment (The America's Next Top Meme Award) was announced at the 2022 WOWIE Awards, a part of RuPaul's DragCon in Los Angeles. She shared the nomination with drag queens Daya Betty and Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté. In June of that same year, Colby appeared in an advertising campaign for cannabis beverage brand Cann, alongside fellow season 14 contestants Willow Pill, Jorgeous, and Kornbread, as well as other LGBTQ+ celebrities including Hayley Kiyoko and Gus Kenworthy. During press for the Cann campaign, Colby shared that she worked at a dispensary before appearing on Drag Race.
In 2023, she appeared in a cameo during an episode of season 15'sUntucked to give a video message to her drag mother (and eventual season 15 winner) Sasha Colby.
On April 23, 2025, Kerri Colby was announced as one of eighteen former Drag Race contestants participating in the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. She was ultimately eliminated at the conclusion of the second bracket but returned as the judge's Wild Card pick for the finale. She was eliminated in the finale's episode's first round.
Kerri Colby is a trans woman. Fellow Drag Race contestant and trans woman Kornbread Jeté credits Kerri Colby with helping her transition. She has also helped inspire Jasmine Kennedie to come out as a trans woman in an episode of season 14's Untucked. Bosco has also cited Kerri Colby as a source of "clarity" in her transition, which she announced after season 14 wrapped filming.
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