Born and raised in Santa Ana, California, Drew was raised in a Christian household. She is of Samoan descent. She then attended the University of Hawai'i, earning two degrees and several certificate courses about the history of Pacific Islander people. She got her first job at the NFL. In the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Drew ended up unemployed as the company laid off several thousands of employees. Therefore, her boyfriend at the time asked her to start posting on TikTok in the hopes of earning money. Afualo then posted her first TikTok on March 24, 2020.