Madeleine was born in Lampertheim, Germany to German parents. Her mother died when she was a little girl and she was subsequently raised by her Aunt and Uncle. She grew up primarily overseas, having lived in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. She began modeling in Korea and Japan after being scouted by an agent at the age of 15. She moved to the United States after graduating from high school and continued modeling before embarking on an acting career. She is also a Burlesque performer with a background in ballet and has parlayed that skill into being cast as a dancer in movies and television.