Described by those who knew her as independent, impulsive and hot-tempered; she was also regarded by Parisian society as a typical courtesan who dressed splendidly, spent money wildly, and was extremely beautiful.

Drouet had limpid, bright eyes; a fine, chiseled nose; a small, crimson mouth; set in an oval face, framed by a mass of blue-black hair.

In 1833, while playing the role of Princess Négroni in the stage production Lucrezia Borgia she met Victor Hugo, whose wife Adèle was having an affair with the critic Sainte-Beuve.

[2] Her last stage role was of Lady Jane Grey in Hugo's Marie Tudor in 1833, after which she abandoned her theatrical career and dedicated the remainder of her life to her lover.

[3] Victor Hugo even slipped this personal anecdote into the plot of Les Misérables: Marius and Cosette’s wedding night takes place on the same date.