Brigitte Bardot, the French actor and singer who became an international sex symbol before turning to animal rights activism and far-right politics, has died aged 91. Her death at her Saint-Tropez home, La Madrague, was announced by her foundation, which expressed immense sadness. The cause of death was not made public.
French President Emmanuel Macron led tributes, calling Bardot 'a legend of the century' and stating that she 'embodied a life of freedom'. The town hall of Saint-Tropez, where she shot the iconic film And God Created Woman, hailed her as its 'most radiant ambassador'. Bardot shot to fame in 1956 with that film, directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim, and for two decades epitomised the 'sex kitten' archetype.
In the early 1970s, Bardot retired from acting and became an outspoken animal rights campaigner. She also embraced far-right politics, supporting Marine Le Pen's National Rally party. Her incendiary comments about ethnic minorities, immigration, Islam and homosexuality led to six convictions for inciting racial hatred between 1997 and 2008, including a €15,000 fine for describing Muslims as 'this population that is destroying us'.
Far-right figures paid tribute, with National Rally president Jordan Bardella calling her 'an ardent patriot' and Marine Le Pen describing her as 'exceptional for her talent, courage, frankness and beauty'. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also honoured her as 'a woman who was free, nonconformist'. Bardot was born in Paris in 1934, studied ballet, and began modelling at 15, appearing on the cover of Elle in 1950.
