It’s 10s across the board for Kerri Colby. The RuPaul’s Drag Race star not only performed alongside pop diva Jennifer Lopez at the iHeart Radio Music Awards - she also donned Jlo’s iconic green Versace dress to do it.
Kerri Colby joined Jennifer Lopez at the 2022 iHeart Radio Music Awards ceremony to perform a medley of the songstress’s biggest hits. The former's costume? None of ther than the very same Versace dress JLo made famous in the early 2000’s. Take a look below:
Kerri Colby and a line-up of past and current RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants — including LaGanga Estranja, Morgan McMichaels, and Jorgeous — were in attendance to perform in honor of Jennifer Lopez. (You can watch those fan-faves in past seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race with your Hulu subscription or your Paramount Plus subscription.) The Grammy-nominated singer, who was on hand to receive the iHeart Radio Icon Award, also took to the stage alongside a chorus of drag queens and back-up dancers to deliver an energetic performance. In addition to Colby, each drag entertainer wore a look inspired by one of JLo’s most famous outfits.
The medley was inspired by ball culture, with Pose star Billy Porter opening the set in a fuschia suit. Kerri Colby and her drag fellows each strutted downstage in a voguing soul train of epic proportions before the lights came up on none other than Jennifer Lopez herself. She quickly ditched her cream fur coat to reveal a slinky black ensemble that was perfect for the fierce song-and-dance number that had her current beau Ben Affleck cheering from the audience. No green Versace dress for JLo this time around - but then again, she’s already made history in that particular garment.
Jennifer Lopez originally wore the patterned gown to the 42nd Grammy Awards in February of 2000. Designed by Donatella Versace, the silk chiffon look featured long, flowing sleeves and a scandalously low-cut neckline that extended well past her belly button. The dress was an instant hit and is credited with cementing Versace’s return to the mainstream after the death of founder Gianni Versace. A version of it is on display at the Grammy museum, although it’s reported that JLo still has dibs on the original.
Which begs the question: how did Kerri Colby get her hands on one of the few duplicates that Versace ever made? It’s all about who you know. She told Entertainment Weekly that she had a ‘friend with connections in the fashion industry’ who managed to score the coveted piece. Kerri Colby also managed to secure the sleeveless version Jennifer Lopez wore on the Versace Spring 2020 runway. She may have left too soon on Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, but Kerri Colby’s star quality is undeniable. Jennifer Lopez certainly thinks so.
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 14, which broke several casting milestones, is currently airing on VH1 on Fridays at 8 pm, immediately followed by the Untucked aftershow. If you can’t get enough, the spin-off RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus The World is now streaming on WOW Presents Plus. You can also catch up with JLo herself by streaming Marry Me on Peacock.
