Brigitte Bardot, the iconic French actress and animal rights advocate, has passed away at the age of 91. She died peacefully at her home in Saint-Tropez on Sunday, according to the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. A memorial service is not currently planned.
Born in Paris in 1934, Brigitte Bardot started her career as a model in 1949 and soon transitioned into acting. She first met director Roger Vadim while auditioning for his film, Les Lauriers sont coupés. Though she didn’t get the part, Vadim personally called to deliver the news, and a romantic relationship blossomed. Bardot was just 15 years old, while Vadim was 22, and they later married when she turned 18.
In 1956, Vadim cast Brigitte Bardot in …And God Created Women, which instantly made her a global star. The film established her as the original “sex kitten,” a term inspired by her performance. Her style in the movie continues to influence fashion today. Even after their divorce in 1957, Bardot and Vadim kept working together and remained close friends until Vadim’s death in 2000.
In addition to being an actress, Brigitte Bardot was a popular singer in the 1960s, known for songs like “Bonnie and Clyde” (with Serge Gainsbourg), “Harley Davidson,” and “Contact.” In 1969, she was chosen as the official face of Marianne, France’s symbol of liberty, equality, and fraternity, and her image even appeared on French currency, the franc.
Brigitte Bardot stopped acting just before turning 40, marking the occasion with an appearance in Playboy. She then dedicated herself to animal rights advocacy, beginning with a protest against seal hunting in Canada where she posed with baby seals. Her work earned her the Legion of Honor in 1985, and the following year she established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation to protect animal welfare. In 2007, she told the Associated Press, “Man is an insatiable predator,” emphasizing that her past success meant little compared to the suffering of animals who are unable to defend themselves.
Brigitte Bardot’s later life took a controversial turn, shifting from animal rights advocacy to views considered anti-Muslim. She faced five convictions in French courts for inciting racial hatred, largely due to her protests against the ritual slaughter of sheep during Muslim holidays. Bardot also publicly criticized the Me Too movement. Her personal life reflected these views; in 1992, she married Bernard d’Ormale, a former advisor to far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, and later supported Le Pen’s daughter, Marine Le Pen, in her 2012 presidential campaign, praising her as quintessentially French. Despite her controversial stances, Bardot was widely mourned upon her death, even by those who opposed her views. French President Emmanuel Macron, who ran against Marine Le Pen in 2017, honored Bardot on Twitter, calling her a symbol of freedom and a legendary figure who deeply impacted French culture.
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2025-12-28 22:54