Holmes was born in the United States on September 17, 1993, the daughter of an American mother and Irish father.
[1] She dropped out of school in the 10th grade and moved to New York City to live with her boyfriend, Ilya Leontyev, but the two fell into heavy drug and alcohol abuse.
[1][3] Holmes was scouted by Heaven Knows What (2014) directors Josh and Benny Safdie in Manhattan's Diamond District, while they were working on a different film that would eventually become Uncut Gems (2019).
The resulting unpublished book, Mad Love in New York City, served as the basis for the screenplay of Heaven Knows What.
[1][6] The film was dedicated to Holmes' ex-boyfriend Leontyev, who was found dead of an overdose in Central Park in April 2015.