French actress Brigitte Bardot has died at the age of 91. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which she founded in 1986, announced her passing on Sunday morning with "immense sadness." Bardot revolutionized 1950s cinema as a symbol of sexual liberation before abandoning her film career in 1973 to dedicate her life to animal welfare — leaving behind a complex legacy marked by both passionate activism and controversial later-life remarks.
Bardot died at her home in Saint-Tropez. Her death follows a period of declining health. She spent three weeks in hospital in October 2025 for treatment of a serious illness, followed by a second admission in November for approximately 10 days. In 2023, she was hospitalized twice for respiratory issues.
The actress starred in almost 50 films during her career, which spanned the late 1950s through the early 1970s. Her 1956 film "And God Created Woman," directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim, caused scandal in the United States and became the highest-grossing foreign film ever released in America at that time, earning $4 million. She received a BAFTA nomination in 1967 for "Viva Maria!"
Animal rights activism
Bardot retired from acting at 39 to focus entirely on animal welfare. She founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which works to support animal shelters and sterilization campaigns for stray animals. She sold her jewelry and possessions to start a sanctuary and defend animals.
Ingrid Newkirk, president of Peta, issued a statement remembering Bardot. «From her rescued pigeons in Saint-Tropez to her beloved dogs, Peta will miss Brigitte, an angel for animals who went to bat and to court to protect them all,» Newkirk said. She urged the public to honor Bardot's memory by performing acts of kindness for animals.
The Brigitte Bardot Foundation committed to continue championing her work "now more than ever." Days before her death, on Christmas Day, the foundation posted a festive Instagram message featuring Bardot with animals — one of her final public communications.
Political tributes
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute on social media. «Her films, her voice, her dazzling glory, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals, her face that became Marianne, Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom,» he wrote.
Far-right politician Marine Le Pen described Bardot as "incredibly French: free, untamable, whole" and stated "she will be greatly missed by us." Bardot had supported France's far-right National Front in her later years and referred to Le Pen as "the Joan of Arc of the 21st century."
Controversial legacy
Bardot's later-life remarks significantly damaged her reputation. She received multiple fines for inciting racial hatred, including a €15,000 fine in 2008. In 2008, she wrote on her website about Muslims "destroying our country by imposing their ways."
Her 2003 book "A Cry in the Silence" drew criticism for arguing that gay people, modern art, politicians, and immigrants were destroying French culture. In 2018, she dismissed actresses involved in the #MeToo movement as "hypocritical, ridiculous, uninteresting."
Personal life
Bardot was married four times. She married director Roger Vadim in 1952, actor Jacques Charrier in 1959, German millionaire Gunter Sachs in 1966, and Bernard d'Ormale in 1992. D'Ormale, a former adviser to Jean-Marie Le Pen, survived her.
Her relationship with her only son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, was notably strained. In her 1996 memoir "Initiales B.B.," she referred to him as the "object of my misfortune" and wrote: «I'm not made to be a mother. I'm not adult enough — I know it's horrible to have to admit that, but I'm not adult enough to take care of a child.» At a press conference, she remarked she would have "preferred to give birth to a little dog." Her son and his father sued her for invasion of privacy, resulting in approximately $40,000 in fines.
Bardot once famously declared: «I gave my youth and beauty to men, I give my wisdom and experience to animals.» She is survived by her fourth husband, her son, two grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, and her sister.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
