Brigitte Bardot, the legendary French actress and global icon who shocked and seduced cinema in equal measure during the 1950s and 60s, has died aged 91. Known as much for her sultry screen presence as her later political and activist stances, Bardot left an indelible mark on pop culture before retreating from the spotlight to become one of the world's most outspoken animal rights advocates.
Her death was confirmed by the Brigitte Bardot Foundation on Sunday, in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse.
“The Brigitte Bardot foundation announces with immense sadness the death of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation,” it read.
No details were given regarding the time or place of her passing.
From ballet to bombshell
Born in 1934 in Paris to a devout Catholic family, Bardot showed early promise in dance, earning a place at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris. But it was a teenage modeling stint that put her on the radar - she appeared on the cover of Elle magazine at just 15.
Her film career began soon after, and by the time she starred in 1956’s And God Created Woman - directed by then-husband Roger Vadim - Bardot had become a full-blown international sensation.
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Her role as a free-spirited teenager in Saint-Tropez captured imaginations worldwide. For two decades, she embodied the so-called “sex kitten” archetype, becoming a muse to artists, musicians, and intellectuals alike.
In 1959, Simone de Beauvoir called her “France’s most liberated woman” in her famous essay Brigitte Bardot and the Lolita Syndrome.
Even John Lennon and Paul McCartney reportedly urged their girlfriends to bleach their hair to match Bardot’s blonde bombshell aesthetic.
From the screen to the streets
By the early 70s, Bardot was increasingly disenchanted with fame. “The madness which surrounded me always seemed unreal. I was never really prepared for the life of a star,” she told the Guardian in 1996. She retired from acting in 1973 at the age of 39 after filming The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot.
Her post-Hollywood life was anything but quiet. Bardot threw herself into animal rights causes, protesting seal hunts in the 70s and eventually founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986. She became known for sending strongly worded letters to world leaders, addressing issues like dolphin killings in the Faroe Islands and stray animal extermination in Romania.
But Bardot also became notorious for her political views, including multiple convictions for inciting racial hatred. In her 2003 book A Cry in the Silence, she made controversial comments targeting Muslims, gay people, and immigrants.
Speaking to the Guardian, she said: “On the terrifying surge of immigration, I share [Jean-Marie Le Pen’s] views completely.”
In a 2006 letter to then-interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, she wrote that France’s Muslim population was “destroying our country by imposing its acts”.
An unforgettable legacy
Bardot appeared in more than 40 films, including Contempt by Jean-Luc Godard, The Truth by Henri-Georges Clouzot, and Shalako opposite Sean Connery. She also pursued a music career, famously recording the original version of Serge Gainsbourg’s Je T’Aime … Moi Non Plus during their affair. The song was shelved after her then-husband Gunter Sachs found out.
Bardot was married four times - to Roger Vadim, Jacques Charrier (with whom she had her only child, Nicolas), Gunter Sachs, and finally to Bernard d’Ormale, a former adviser to Marine Le Pen, in 1992. Her love life was a tabloid fixture, featuring high-profile relationships with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Serge Gainsbourg.