Daughter of Mozes Goudeket (1860-1942), a wealthy, orthodox Jewish diamond cutter in the Jordaan neighborhood of Amsterdam, and Geertruida Warradijn (1866-1920).
Her 1927 lawsuit against Cecil B. DeMille set a precedent in establishing a star's rights. She did remain friendly with DeMille even after her victory. In later years she became active in Actors Equity's fight for the unionization of film actors. She became known as the "Joan of Arc of Equity."