The world of cinema and animal advocacy is in mourning following the death of French actress and campaigner Brigitte Bardot. She passed away at the age of 91 at her home in southern France.
From Screen Siren to Activist
Brigitte Bardot, universally known by her initials BB, was one of the most recognisable faces of the post-war era. Born in Paris in 1934, she rose from an aspiring ballerina to become an international sex symbol of the 1960s. Her breakthrough came with the 1956 film Et Dieu Crea La Femme (And God Created Woman), directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim, which pushed boundaries and propelled her to global stardom.
She starred in dozens of films, including notable collaborations with French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard on Contempt (1963) and Masculin Feminin (1966). Her spirited performances captured a Europe embracing a more liberated lifestyle. In 1967, she received a BAFTA nomination for her role in Viva Maria.
A Life Dedicated to Animal Welfare
In a dramatic shift, Bardot later abandoned her prestigious film career to devote herself entirely to animal rights. She founded The Brigitte Bardot Foundation, an organisation dedicated to animal protection, to which she channelled her energy and resources.
The foundation confirmed her death, stating she had chosen to "dedicate her life and energy to the defence of animals." In later years, she auctioned personal belongings and jewellery to fund the foundation's work, campaigning fiercely against the slaughter of baby seals and the use of animals in laboratory experiments.
"I don't care about my past glory," she told The Associated Press in 2007. "That means nothing in the face of an animal that suffers, since it has no power, no words to defend itself."
A Complex and Controversial Legacy
Bardot's later years were marked by both admiration for her activism and controversy over her political views. She was a supporter of the French far-right, notably Marine Le Pen, whom she once called "the Joan of Arc of the 21st century."
She faced legal convictions for inciting racial hatred; in 2004 for comments in her book A Cry In The Silence, and again in 2008 for a letter stating Muslims were "destroying France." More recently, she criticised the #MeToo movement, calling actresses who came forward with harassment claims "hypocritical."
Tributes have poured in from across France and the world. President Emmanuel Macron described her as "a legend of the century" who "embodied a life of freedom." Marine Le Pen said Bardot was "incredibly French: free, untamable, whole."
The Brigitte Bardot Foundation has vowed to continue her work "with the same passion and unwavering commitment to her ideals," ensuring that her legacy in animal welfare endures long beyond her cinematic fame.
