Born Karen Bach outside of Lyon, France, Karen Lancaume came from a wealthy family. The bi-racial beauty (French father, Moroccan mother) married at 17 while she was attending college.

Even though her husband was a disc jockey and she worked weekends at a nightclub to make ends meet, the couple was soon awash in debt. They saw an opportunity to make a good amount of money quickly by performing in porn films, and in 1996 they both entered the industry. Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last past their first film together, and while her ex-husband left the porn industry, she stayed in it.