Legendary actress Brigitte Bardot has died
Brigitte Bardot, the French actress, singer and one of the most recognisable cultural icons of the 20th century, has died at the age of 91.
She rose to global fame as the defining sex symbol of the 1950s and 1960s before later reinventing herself as a radical animal rights activist with increasingly controversial political views.
Bardot became an international sensation with And God Created Woman in 1956, directed by her then husband Roger Vadim. Her portrayal of a free-spirited, provocative young woman in Saint-Tropez transformed her into a symbol of a new, liberated form of female sexuality and reshaped postwar popular culture.
Over the following two decades, she was among the biggest stars of French cinema, appearing in films by Henri-Georges Clouzot, Louis Malle and Jean-Luc Godard. She also worked in international productions alongside actors such as Marcello Mastroianni and Sean Connery, cementing her global stardom.
Alongside acting, Bardot pursued a music career. Serge Gainsbourg wrote Je t’aime… moi non plus specifically for her, though the original version was never released. The song was later re-recorded with Jane Birkin and became a worldwide hit.
In 1973, at just 39 years old, Bardot abruptly retired from acting, saying she could no longer endure the pressures of fame. She devoted the rest of her life to animal rights activism, campaigning internationally against seal hunting and other practices, and founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986. She frequently appealed directly to world leaders, calling for an end to cruelty toward animals.
In later years, Bardot’s public image became increasingly divisive. She openly supported far-right movements in France and made repeated statements about immigration and religious minorities that led to multiple convictions in French courts for inciting racial hatred.
Bardot was married four times, had one son, and was involved in numerous high-profile relationships. She leaves behind a deeply controversial yet undeniably influential legacy — as a woman who transformed ideas of sexuality and stardom, and later emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken and polarising public figures.
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