Janae Palmer was born and raised in Gaithersburg, Maryland, to Janet Palmer, a school teacher, and James Palmer, CEO and founder of a family owned contracting business. Her heritage is of Italian decent. Palmer was home schooled by her mother from early childhood education to twelfth grade. During her last two years of high-school, she was enrolled as a part-time student at her local college. Being home schooled enabled Palmer to begin her acting education at the age of thirteen at an organization called HST. She studied acting techniques, dance, and voice with HST and performed two main stage shows per year from the age of thirteen to eighteen.