She is the daughter of Anne Mansouret, Socialist vice-president of the general council of Eure, representing Évreux-Est, in Upper Normandy.

[6][7] Her first book, a long essay entitled Erreurs avouées… (au masculin) about the biggest mistakes in the lives of political figures, was published in November 2003 by Anne Carrière.

[1][7] A short novel, Noir délire, inspired by the death of French actress Marie Trintignant, was released the same year in the literary review Bordel.

The novel, described by Banon as part-autobiographical, tells the story of a young girl's ruined childhood, neglected by her mother and forced to fend for herself against an alcoholic and abusive nanny.

[1] On 5 February 2007, during a television chat-show, Banon alleged that Dominique Strauss-Kahn had attempted to rape her in 2002 during the course of an interview while she was researching Erreurs avouées: "It ended really badly.

[10][11] Banon's mother, Socialist Party politician Anne Mansouret, said in an interview that she had persuaded her daughter not to file charges at the time of the alleged rape attempt.

[15][16] Strauss-Kahn's lawyers responded by saying they would in turn file a complaint of false accusation (dénonciation calomnieuse) against Banon.

[24] On 29 September, Banon confronted Strauss-Kahn at a Paris police station at the request of French prosecutors investigating the alleged assault.