 Born on 6 July 1923 in Angers, France, there are conflicting accounts of Grudet's origins, ranging from an aristocratic father in politics and an education by nuns to a father who ran a small cafe and early work selling food from a pushcart.Another unverified tale about her past includes work as an agent of the French Resistance during the German Occupation of France during World War II and imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp.After the war, she worked as a prostitute but claimed she "was never pretty enough" and was better suited to management.