Brigitte Bardot, the French film star and 1950s-60s sexual icon who later devoted her life to animal welfare, has died at the age of 91, her foundation announced on Sunday. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation did not disclose the time or place of her death.
“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,” the statement read.
Bardot, known as “BB,” rose to global fame with her 1956 film And God Created Woman and appeared in around 50 movies before retiring from acting in 1973. Born in Paris on September 28, 1934, she was married four times and had one son, Nicolas, with her second husband, actor Jacques Charrier.
Following her retirement, Bardot dedicated herself to protecting abandoned animals. She founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986, which now has around 300 employees and 70,000 donors. “It gave me fame, and that fame allows me to protect animals — the only cause that truly matters to me,” she told AFP in a 2024 interview.
President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute, calling Bardot a “legend of the 20th century” who embodied “a life of freedom” through her films, voice, and devotion to animals.
Bardot spent her later years in Saint-Tropez, living in relative solitude surrounded by nature. Her compassion for animals began during the filming of her final movie, when she rescued a goat from being killed.
While adored for her cinematic legacy, Bardot was also a controversial figure due to her far-right political views and repeated convictions for hate speech. She openly supported Marine Le Pen and voiced opposition to the “Islamisation of France.”
Bardot is survived by her only child, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier. She had previously expressed a wish for a simple funeral, requesting a wooden cross over her grave, like those she used for her animals.
Her final book, Mon BBcedaire (“My BB Alphabet”), released weeks before her death, criticized modern France and contained remarks about gay and transgender people, reflecting her long-standing controversial public persona.
