French icon Brigitte Bardot dies at 91

Brigitte Bardot, the French actress who became a defining sex symbol of the 1960s, died Sunday at age 91 at her home in southern France, her foundation announced.bloomberg
Bardot rose to international fame with the scandalous 1956 film “And God Created Woman” and starred in approximately 47 films before retiring from acting in 1973 at age 39 to dedicate herself to animal rights activism.france24
She established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986 and was awarded France’s Legion of Honor in 1985, though her later years were marked by controversy after being convicted five times between 1997 and 2008 for inciting racial hatred.the-independent

French Icon Brigitte Bardot Dies at 91

Brigitte Bardot, the French actress who became a defining sex symbol of the 1960s before devoting her later years to animal rights activism, died Sunday, her foundation announced. She was 91.bloomberg

Bruno Jacquelin of the Brigitte Bardot Foundation told The Associated Press that she died at her home in southern France. The foundation’s statement expressed “immense sadness” over the death of its founder, calling her “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”. No cause of death was specified.france24

Bardot had been in frail health in recent months. She was hospitalized in September and spent nearly three weeks at a private facility in Toulon in October following surgery for what French media described as a “serious illness”. In late November, she was hospitalized again for 10 days.clickorlando

From Screen Siren to Cultural Phenomenon

Bardot became an international sensation with the 1956 film “And God Created Woman,” directed by her first husband, Roger Vadim. The film, which featured the then-18-year-old dancing nude on tables, shocked audiences and helped usher in the French New Wave cinema movement. Her tousled blonde hair, pouty lips, and uninhibited persona made her one of France’s most recognizable stars. In 1969, her features were chosen to represent Marianne, the national emblem of France, appearing on statues, postage stamps, and coins.bloomberg

She appeared in approximately 47 films over two decades, including Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film “Contempt”. Despite substantial Hollywood offers, Bardot largely remained a star of European cinema, working in her native language. She retired from acting in 1973 at age 39 after watching a documentary on seal hunting.israelhayom

A Second Act in Animal Advocacy

In 1986, Bardot established her foundation after raising three million francs by auctioning jewelry and personal belongings. The organization, recognized as serving the public interest in 1992, campaigns against fur trading, bullfighting, animal experimentation, and the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses. The foundation operates four sanctuaries in France housing over 7,000 rescued animals and conducts more than 2,000 investigations annually.straitstimes

Her activism earned her France’s Legion of Honor in 1985, though her later years were marked by controversy. Between 1997 and 2008, she was convicted five times for inciting racial hatred, particularly for criticizing Muslim practices and immigration.wikipedia

Bardot is survived by her fourth husband, Bernard d’Ormale, whom she married in 1992, and her son Nicolas-Jacques Charrier.the-independent