Born in Le Havre, France, Belot was raised in the metropolis at the Sainte-Barbe college before obtaining his license at the Faculty of Law in Paris.

After several trips to the Americas, he devoted himself to writing, publishing Le Châtiment in 1855 before approaching the theater with the comedy À la Campagne in 1857.

In 1859, in collaboration with Charles Edmond Villetard de Prunières,[1][circular reference] he wrote Le Testament de César Girodot, a show which was performed over 500 times at the Odéon theater.

The book was an immense success, selling at least 66,000 copies and has been published in 33 editions around the world.

Belot fathered two daughters: Marthe and Jeanne, the latter of which became an actress at the Odéon theatre under the pseudonym of "Miss Belly".