Brigitte Bardot, the French actress and singer who became an international sex symbol before turning to animal rights activism, has passed away aged 91.
Bardot had been ill in hospital in Toulon, according to local media. The star’s animal rights charity announced her passing on Sunday morning with a statement.
‘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 said.
The organisation did not specify the time or place where Bardot died.
Known as the original ‘Sex Kitten’, Bardot shot to international notoriety with her role in the 1956 film And God Created Woman, which was directed by her first husband Roger Vadim.
That turn as a voluptuous, hedonistic orphan made her an object of edgy fascination for millions, even though the film itself got a mixed reaction from critics.
Described by Time magazine as France‘s ‘most ogled export’, Bardot’s sex appeal was further fuelled by her outings as a model.
Following the news of her death, French president Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Bardot, saying she was ‘a legend who embodied a life of freedom’.
Brigitte Bardot has passed away aged 91. Above: The star in 2023, one of the last times she was pictured out and about
Known as the original ‘Sex Kitten’, Bardot shot to international notoriety with her role in the 1956 film And God Created Woman, which was directed by her first husband Roger Vadim
He wrote on X: ‘Her films, her voice, her dazzling fame, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals, her face that became Marianne, Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom.
‘A French existence, a universal radiance. She touched us. We mourn a legend of the century’.
Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally party, saluted ‘a woman of heart, conviction, and character’.
Bardella wrote on X: ‘The French people have lost today the Marianne they so loved and whose beauty astonished the world.
‘Brigitte Bardot was a woman of heart, conviction, and character. A fervent patriot, a lover of animals whom she protected throughout her life, she embodied an entire era of French history, but also and above all, a certain idea of courage and freedom.’
Bardot’s adopted home town, Saint-Tropez, also paid tribute to their ‘radiant ambassador’.
A statement released by the Riviera seaside resort’s town council on Sunday reads: ‘Brigitte Bardot, an icon of French and international cinema, will forever be associated with Saint-Tropez, of which she was the most radiant ambassador.
He wrote on X: ‘Her films, her voice, her dazzling fame, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals, her face that became Marianne, Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom.
‘A French existence, a universal radiance. She touched us. We mourn a legend of the century’.
Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally party, saluted ‘a woman of heart, conviction, and character’.
Bardella wrote on X: ‘The French people have lost today the Marianne they so loved and whose beauty astonished the world.
‘Brigitte Bardot was a woman of heart, conviction, and character. A fervent patriot, a lover of animals whom she protected throughout her life, she embodied an entire era of French history, but also and above all, a certain idea of courage and freedom.’
Bardot’s adopted home town, Saint-Tropez, also paid tribute to their ‘radiant ambassador’.
A statement released by the Riviera seaside resort’s town council on Sunday reads: ‘Brigitte Bardot, an icon of French and international cinema, will forever be associated with Saint-Tropez, of which she was the most radiant ambassador.
